Dark Secrets
by ElementalGuardianProtector
Summary: A mysterious female stranger that Tohru brings home seems to know Yuki and Kyo, and, she can hug them without them transforming. Is this girl part of the Sohma Family? Or does she have something to do with the origin of the Sohma Family Curse? R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**Me: 'Ello peoples of Fruits Basket! My name's ElementalGuardianProtector and I shall be the host of this new story!**

**Tohru: Does that also make you the authoress?**

**Me: Yep.**

**Kyo: (groans) Why are we here?**

**Yuki: Stupid cat, we're here because we're the main characters!**

**Kyo: Don't call me stupid, ya damn rat!**

**Yuki: Then stop acting stupid.**

**Me: (sighs and hugs Kyo, transforming him into a cat) **

**Kyo: (hissed) Why'd you do that?! And why didn't you hug Yuki too? **

**Me: Don't fight with Yuki. You'll get your butt kick again.**

**Yuki: This "ElementalGuardianProtector" girl now knows our secret. We must erase her memory at once.**

**Me: Silly! You can't erase my memory! This is MY world! (Towers Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru while they shrink) You do as I say when I say.**

**Kyo: You must be damned to think I'll listen to a stupid little girl.**

**Me: (growls and stomps on Kyo's tail)**

**Kyo: YYYYEEEEEOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!**

**Me: Now, what were you saying about not listening?**

**Kyo: I said I ain't listenin' to a girl!**

**Yuki/Tohru: (sweat drop) Oh brother…**

**Kyo: (transforms back into his human form)**

**Me: AHHHHH!! KYO, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!! I'VE BEEN BLINDED!!**

**Kyo: Ah, shaddup. (Quickly pulled clothes on)**

**Yuki: (sighs) We've gotta work on the no clothes issue.**

**Me: No kiddin'. **

**Tohru: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing.**

Chapter One

"Wakey – wakey everyone!" Tohru Honda began to shake Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure Sohma violently. "It's time to wake up!"

The three boys were sleeping on the living room floor, due to the ridiculous contest they participated in last night…

"Wake up? For what?" Kyo groaned crankily. He obviously wasn't ready to wake up yet. "Today's Saturday Tohru, which means no school, and no school means kick back and relax." Kyo sat up and scratched his short orange hair.

"And why are we on the living room floor?"

"You, Yuki-kun, and Shigure-san were having a contest to see who could stay up the longest and last night, before the three of you started your contest, I came in here with pillows and blankets just in case you'd need them. Remember?" Tohru asked the neko

Kyo woke up immediately. "Oh yeah! We were competing to see who would stay up the longest! And I won! I went to sleep 6:36 in the morning!" Kyo exclaimed.

"Ha-ha girly-boy, I beat you! Ya damn rat!" Kyo taunted the nezumi. "No you didn't, you stupid cat. I went to sleep 10 minutes ago." Yuki retorted.

"Tohru, what time is it?" Shigure asked. "8:46 in the morning." Tohru answered. "_WHAT??_" Kyo anime fell.

"_How? How could that damn Yuki beat me? How? Grrrrr…NOT AGAIN!" _Kyo thought, angry that he had never once beat Yuki.

"Wow Kyo, Yuki beat you by 2 whole entire hours!" Shigure teased Kyo. "Shut up you bastard." Kyo growled.

"Awww, someone's crawkie!" Shigure began to baby talk Kyo, humiliation Kyo even more.

"No I'm not Shigure!" Kyo insisted, clearly lying."Awww, are you upset that you lost to Yuki? Again?" Shigure continued taunting Kyo.

"I SAID SHUT UP DAMMIT!" Kyo jumped up and yelled at Shigure. "I didn't lose to that damn Yuki! I can beat him! And I'm not mad or upset!"

"Then why are you yelling Kyo?" Yuki inquired, finally fully awake. "Listen here you little rat, you and your girly looks are pissing me off." Kyo tried to calm down.

He didn't want to do anything too rash or stupid while Tohru was watching him. He could never forgive himself if his temper caused her to get hurt again.

"The sound of your voice aggravates me." Yuki snorted."What did you just say?!" Kyo demanded, his cat ears popping out of his head.

"You heard me, stupid cat. Or are those stupid cat ears of yours not working correctly?" Yuki retorted.

"Damned rat! Don't call me stupid!" Kyo hissed. "Then stop acting stupid." Yuki said bluntly.

"I'm not acting stupid!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"NO. I'M. NOT!

"YES. YOU. ARE."

Tohru sweat dropped as she watched the two boys argue. _"Oh great. They're at it again. Why do they always have to argue? Why can't they just get along? Why won't they even try to get along? "_ Tohru wondered.

"_I know that they can do anything if they try and put their minds to it. Just because Kyo-kun's a cat and Yuki'-kun's a mouse doesn't mean they can't be friends."_

"_Oh, I hope that one day they can put aside their differences and get along." _

"You wanna fight? I'll give you a fight Yuki!" Kyo got in a fighting stance. "Just try me." Yuki stood up.

"But I can see now that that's not gonna happen for a VERY, _VERY_ LONG time." Tohru sighed to herself.

"Um, Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, do you guys want to eat the breakfast I made for you guys earlier? Before it gets cold?" Tohru asked.

"Why yes Honda-san, I would very much like to eat some of the delicious food you made for us." Yuki turned all of his attention to Tohru and sat down.

Kyo scoffed and sat down as well, grumbling under his breath. "I wouldn't call it delicious. I mean, I'm not _that_ great of a cook." Tohru insisted.

"Don't be so modest Tohru!" Shigure laughed. "You're the best cook that I've ever eaten food from!"

"Why thanks Shigure. I'm so glad you think that about my cooking. I'll go get breakfast now." Tohru disappeared into the kitchen.

"I still can't believe Tohru woke us up so early on a Saturday." Kyo grumbled. "We always wake up this early, stupid. If you can't handle losing sleep without complaining, then next time, don't go to sleep so late." Yuki remarked towards Kyo's griping.

Before Kyo could even open his mouth to make a snappy comeback, Tohru returned with trays and bowls of food.

"I'm back with the food!" Tohru announced, giving Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure their breakfast.

"I'll go get the juices!" Tohru disappeared again into the kitchen. "Wow, this food looks so delicious!" Shigure's mouth began to water."I don't know where to start!"

"Yes, I agree. Honda-san's cooking looks very delectable." Yuki agreed with Shigure. "Man, would Tohru hurry up and get back here? I'm starving!" Kyo griped.

"Be quiet. You should be happy Honda-san even made breakfast for us, you ungrateful cat!" Yuki snapped.

"And you should be grateful Tohru's here, otherwise I would've really beat you to a pump by now!" Kyo hissed.

"Likewise." Yuki replied, throwing himself and Kyo into a glaring contest. "Sorry I took so long, I – " Tohru stopped when Shigure held a finger up to his lips and shushed her.

"Shhhh! Kyo and Yuki are having a staring contest, and I wanna see who's gonna win!" Shigure explained to Tohru.

Tohru sighed and sweat dropped_. "Mostly likely, Yuki-kun's gonna win. Kyo-kun never beats Yuki in anything. Anything except anger management, arrogance, and stubbornness."_ Tohru thought.

"ARGH! DAMN YOU YUKI! YOU CHEATED!"

"_See? What did I tell you?"_ Tohru thought to herself. "Hi guys, I'm back with the drinks!" Tohru handed out the drinks.

"I got everyone's favorites too! Cranberry juice for Yuki, Orange juice for Kyo, and Apple juice for Shigure."

"Arigatou, Honda-san." Yuki thanked Tohru. "Your welcome, Prince Yuki." Tohru smiled, causing Yuki to blushed.

"Didja get any milk?" Kyo asked, his orange cat ears popping out of his head again. If his tail had popped out, it probably would've been wagging eagerly.

"Yes Kyon-Kyon, I know how much you like milk, so I got you a glass of nice warm milk." Tohru handed Kyo the glass.

"Don't call me Kyon-Kyon!" Kyo snatched the glass from Tohru. "Gomen ne Kyo-kun, but you look so much like an adorable little kitten right now! And the way your ears are slightly dropping is just so cute!" Tohru giggled.

"I do not look like a kitten!" Kyo growled, slightly blushing.

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh ."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh."

"NUH-UH!"

"Uh-huh Kyon-Kyon! You look just like an orange kitten with those ears and whiskers!"

"DON'T CALL ME KYON-KYON! AND I DO NOT!!"

"Honda-san, aren't you going to eat anything?" Yuki asked Tohru, interrupting her and Kyo's ridiculous argument.

**(Probably out of jealousy lol)**

"Oh no Yuki-kun, I can't! There was only enough to make breakfast for you, Kyo-kun, and Shigure-san, so I decided to make breakfast for you guys and skip out on it." Tohru explained.

"Oh no…I feel so guilty…Tohru-kun put her heart into making this delicious meal, and while we eat it in front of her face and become filled, she eats nothing and starves! How tragic…" Shigure said dramatically.

"I don't feel guilty." Kyo said while wolfing down his breakfast. _"Of course you don't, you greedy, selfish, and inconsiderate cat."_ Yuki thought.

"Honda-san, we cannot accept this." Yuki began. "If there is not enough for you to eat, then there isn't enough for any of us to eat."

"Slow your roll there Yuki. This food smells so good and looks so yummy, it would be a shame if it had to go to waste.." Shigure tried to trick Yuki into letting them eat their food.

Shigure did feel sorry for Tohru, but he also felt sorry for his grumbling stomach! (**So which one do you think he's gonna choose?! I know which one I'd choose!)**

"Yeah Yuki, and besides, she made it especially for us, so don't you think we should eat it?" Kyo said while gobbling his food.

"You're already eating it." Yuki said in an irritated manner. "Yuki-kun, please, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm not even hungry!" Tohru insisted.

Suddenly, everyone was silenced and stopped what they were doing when they heard a very loud grumbling noise – coming from Tohru's stomach.

Tohru groaned and sweat dropped, embarrassed that he stomach had grumbled so loudly. Yuki raised an eyebrow. "As you were saying?"

"Oh please Yuki-kun, please, eat breakfast and forget about me. I can't afford to eat anyway. I have so much studying to do for next week's tests, and I have so much cleaning to do, and I have to go to work early today to try and fit in some extra hours." Tohru began to beg Yuki to let her skip.

"Please Yuki-kun? I promise I'll eat when I finish! And I'll do extra chores too!" "No Honda-san, that is not necessary." Yuki replied. "Just make sure you eat something today."

"Oh, thank you Yuki-kun! You wont regret this, I promise!" Tohru hugged Yuki around his neck.

**POOF!**

"Ooops. I'm so sorry. I..I wasn't thinking. Please forgive me." Tohru apologized. "It's okay. Just promise me you'll eat something soon." Yuki accepted Tohru's apology.

"Um, I'll carry you and your clothes to your room. So you can, you know, get dressed in privacy." Tohru picked up the nezumi and carried him to his room.

"Yuki hasn't eaten his food yet…" Shigure looked at Kyo. "What should we do with it?" "Well…Yuki's gone…And the coast is clear…" Kyo trailed off.

Within a fraction of a second, Shigure and Kyo began to gobble down Yuki's breakfast.

**5 minutes later**

"Ahhhh…That was soooo good…" Kyo used his toothpick, hiccupping. "It was so delicious…" Shigure stretched.

"Hey, I'm back – " Yuki stopped when he saw his empty tray and full "friends" **(And I use quotation marks for friends, cause Kyo's not Yuki's friend in the least. Not even close.)**

"Kyo…Shigure…Did you eat my breakfast?" Yuki began, his head pulsing with anger. "…Maybe." Shigure answered. "What's it to ya if we did?" Kyo sneered.

A purple flame surrounded Yuki. "What's it to me?" Yuki gritted his teeth, trying to calm down.

"N-Nothing. I wasn't hun-gry, Oh n-o, n-not in the least." Yuki said the best he could through his gritted teeth.

"Really?" Shigure asked. Yuki took a deep breath and smiled. "Really. It doesn't matter. Honda-san didn't eat anything and she's not complaining, so I guess I can do the same too."

"_Something's up. I wonder if something happened while he was upstairs with Tohru…Yeah…I mean, why else would Yuki be so cool about this and not beat Kyo to a pump?" _Shigure thought. _"And me along with him…"_

"I'm off Yuki-kun! Bye Kyo-kun, Shigure-san! I'll be back during my third shift hours!" Tohru ran out of the Sohma's house with her backpack.

"Hey, doesn't she have chores? And what about lunch? And dinner?" Shigure asked. "Well, since you and Kyo devoured my breakfast, I guess that was your lunch, and dinner? Well, I guess we could order out." Yuki told Shigure.

"…You had this planned from the very beginning!" Shigure gasped. "No wonder you didn't beat Kyo and me to a pump!"

"Exactly. I thought that if I didn't hit you and let you starve instead, it would be a most enjoyable punishment. For me to watch, that is." Yuki replied with a grin.

"You dirty bastard." Kyo growled. "Oh, and you can starve to death for all I care, but I'm not letting you eat anything until dinner." Yuki chained the cabinets and refrigerator up and used a big ole lock to keep the inu and the neko out of them.

"This is such…A cruel…cruel…punishment…" Shigure said dramatically, pretending to faint . "Yes, and that's why I'm giving it to you." Yuki responded bluntly with a smile.

"Save the drama for your stupid little books Shigure." Kyo muttered.

**Change in POV**

"_I can't believe it's 9:45 already!"_ Tohru thought. _"Boy, time sure does fly!"_

Tohru was running to the library. She figured the library would be the best place to study.

So that she would have some peace and silence.

And, she could check out books that she needed to help her study.

"_I'm gonna study my hardest and give everything I got into acing those tests next week!"_ Tohru thought.

"_I have to. For…Mom…" _Tohru looked at the picture of her mother, Kyoko Honda, in her hands.

"_Then after I study, I'll so to the store and buy some more food for tomorrow's dinner, since Yuki-kun said he'll take care of dinner."_

"_And then, I'll work over time at my job. And I'll work really, really hard, So that I can get an advance in my paycheck this month."_

"_And when I get home…I be worn out, but I'll still have to do the cleaning…Oh well."_ Tohru walked into the library.

Tohru sat down at a table, pulled out her notebooks, papers, pencils, and books from her book bag, and put her book bag behind the chair.

"_Let's just hope time flies just as fast for this studying thing as it did this morning."_ Tohru thought with a sigh, but began to study hard.

**Me: Ta-da! End of chapter one!**

**Tohru: But the mysterious girl didn't coming in.**

**Me: Oh come now, did you actually think I was gonna bring her in right away? I have to give the readers so reason to want to read the next chapter!**

**Kyo: (sneers) Should've know you wouldn't get down to the point.**

**Me: Do you have a problem Kyo? Just because you and Yuki are cute doesn't mean I won't transform you and stomp on your tail again.**

**Kyo: …**

**Me: Yeah, that what I thought.**

**Yuki: So. The idiotic cat is smart enough to know when to close his mouth. Impressive. Maybe Kyo's not as stupid as I thought he was.**

**Kyo: AND JUST WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN, YOU DAMNED RAT?!**

**Me: (sigh) You spoke too soon.**

**Yuki: (sigh) I take it back.**

**Tohru: (sigh) Kyo-kun, please calm down.**

**Kyo: So you're talking his side?! Tohru, why do you always take rat boy's side?**

**Me/Yuki/Tohru: (sigh)**

**Kyo: WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SIGHING?! KNOCK IT OFF WITH THE DAMN SIGHING ALREADY! JEEZ!**

**Tohru: Read and review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Welcome, to chapter two of my nice little story.**

**SylphWindDancer: That obviously is based on the anime and not the manga.**

**Kyo: (groans) Oh great. We have another wacko authoress in this story.**

**SWD: (glares at Kyo)**

**Me: 'Ello half sister! But it's not fault you and your older sister won't let me read the manga, now is it?**

**SWD: I told you, Fruits Basket Manga is my sister's! Tsubasa is mine!**

**Me: …And your point is?**

**SWD: (sighs)**

**Tohru: Are the two of you really half sisters?**

**Me: Nope. SWD is my best friend, but we call each other half sister.**

**SWD: Hey, half sister, where is sister?**

**Me: (shrug) I dunno.**

**Kyo: Okay, this isn't a personal chat room you know!**

**Me: (without stopping the conversation with SWD, hands Kyo a dish a warm milk after hugging him)**

**Kyo: MILK! (Slurps the milk) But I'm not finish yelling at you yet! (goes back to drinking milk.**

**Yuki: (Sweat drop) Well, I guess it's up to us to start the chapter, Honda-san. (turns to Tohru) Honda-san?**

**Tohru: (Asleep on the floor)**

**Yuki: (sigh) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing.**

Chapter Two

"Miss? Miss? Miss, it's time to leave. The library's about to close." The librarian shook Tohru.

"I have an appointment in a little bit, so the library's closing early today." The librarian tried to wake up Tohru.

"_Poor girl…She's been studying so hard and worrying about passing her tests, she worried herself right to sleep…Maybe I should let her sleep a bit longer…"_ The librarian thought.

"_She's been pushing herself too hard lately, I can tell. Otherwise, she wouldn't have collapsed like this."_

**Change in POV**

"Yuki…I'm soooo hungryyyyy…" Shigure dragged himself across the floor and grabbed Yuki's ankle.

"Can't we something? Anything? Pllleeeeaaaassssseee?!" Shigure pleaded. "No Shigure. It's 3: 20, which means it's only been about 7 hours. You have about another 4 hours left before you can eat dinner or even think about eating, for that matter." Yuki kicked Shigure away.

"How can you be so cruel to your own cousin Yuki?! Oh, how? After all I've done for you, how can you turn on me like this?" Shigure began on his knees, the room turning black and him in the spot light.

"Hey! Shigure! Stop playing with the lighting! I can't see anything!" Kyo shouted. "You should be able to see in the dark, Kyo, shouldn't you? After all, you _are_ a _cat_." Yuki pointed out.

"Shut up rat boy!" Kyo snapped.

"After all I've done for you, protecting you and loving you like my own, this is the thanks I get?" Shigure continued his act and ignored Kyo and Yuki's previous snapping, his black eyes getting all big, just like a puppy's, and watering up.

"I'm…I'm hurt. So, so hurt. I thought I could trust you, but I guess I was wrong. Oh woe is me!"

"And I thought I could trust you to not eat my breakfast, but apparently, I misjudged you and was wrong as well!" Yuki retorted.

"I'm sorry Shigure, but you're not getting a single bite until 7 o'clock. And I'm not gonna fall for your stupid act."

"Ah! You're so hurtful Yuki! That cut! Deep!" Shigure turned the lights back on. "Hey Yuki, you said no one's getting in that fridge 'til dinner, right?" Kyo asked.

"Right." Yuki nodded. "Then you're just punishing yourself! Shigure and I have had something to eat today, but you? You haven't even eaten a bite of food!" Kyo laughed in Yuki's face.

"On the contrary," Yuki held up at large chocolate bar with a grin. "I've eaten my candy stash from Halloween."

"_WHAT??_" Kyo and Shigure chorused. "That's what you get for eating all of your candy from the Halloween party last year instead of carefully conserving it and keeping it fresh incase of emergencies." Yuki smirked.

Truthfully, that chocolate bar wasn't Halloween candy. It was one of the many chocolates he got from those crazy fan girls.

But Yuki figured he should mess with them and say that he's been planning this for months.

He knew it would really tick Kyo off, because he outsmarted him once again.

"Grrrrr...Damn you Yuki!" Kyo snarled_. "Dammit. You mean he's been planning to starve me to death for the past few months? That bastard!"_

"FOOD!" Shigure's mouth watered, a river flowing from it. "GIVE IT TO ME!" Shigure pounced on Yuki and tackled him to the ground, fighting for the candy bar.

Kyo watches his cousins battle for the chocolate. "Man, I hate chocolate." Kyo groaned. "But if it means it get to kick Yuki's butt AND eat some real food, than count me in!"

Kyo jumped on top of Yuki and Shigure, battling Yuki for the Hersey's chocolate bar (**I like chocolate as much as the next girl, but not THAT much!!)**

"I'M GONNA BEAT YOU AND STEAL YOUR CANDY YUKI!

"NO YOU WON'T, YOU STUPID CAT!"

"YUKI, IF YOU WANT ME TO LIVE, THEN PLEASE, GIVE ME THE CHOCOLATE!"

"WELL I GUESS THIS ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE NOT GETTING MY CHOCOLATE SHIGURE!!"

"YOU'RE SO MEAN YUN-YUN!"

"WHO SAID YOU COULD CALL ME YUN-YUN?"

"ME, NOW GIVE ME THE DAMN CHOCOLATE!"

"YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE CHOCOLATE KYO!"

**One hour later**** (After LOTS and LOTS of screaming, yelling, insulting, name calling, breaking of items and bones, and cursing)**

"We…We destroyed our home…" Shigure whispered, looking at their trashed home. The Sohma's home looked like a hurricane had pasted right through it.

The was pieces of wood, which used to be the table, scattered all over the place, the blankets were torn and spread around the room, the TV had been busted, the doors had been snapped over and over again and thrown carelessly across the room, there were feathers that used to be inside of the pillows scattered all over the floor, the vases had been shattered along with the dishes, and chocolate had been smeared across the floor.

"Over a stinkin' candy bar." Kyo sighed. "How pathetic." "This place looks like a pigsty." Yuki groaned.

"Maybe we should invite Kagura over. She would be right at home." Shigure attempted humor, but instead of getting even the slightest chuckle, he received a bone-chilling glare from Yuki and Kyo.

"You must not get the joke. Kagura's a boar, also known as a wild pig, and you said this place looked like a pigsty so…" Shigure trailed off when a purple flame surrounded his cousins.

"We get the joke." Yuki growled. "Shut up." Kyo growled as well. "Okay." Shigure grabbed a broom, mop, a bucket of water, and dustpan.

"Well, this place isn't gonna clean itself! Get to work!" Shigure handed Kyo the broom and dustpan and handed Yuki the mop and bucket of water.

"Chop-chop!" Shigure clapped his hands together twice, telling the boys to start cleaning.

"Why aren't you cleaning?" Kyo mumbled as he began to sweep the floor. "Don't Kyo. He's not work it." Yuki sighed, mopping the floor.

"Shigure, get off your lazy ass and help us!" Kyo yelled at Shigure. "Hn? What's this?" Kyo picked out a note and read it out loud:

_Kyo_

_I have gone on a thousand mile quest to retrieve the golden key of legends and I won't be back for some time. Do NOT try to find me and do NOT try to help me. I won't be back until the time is right._

_- Shigure (PS, Happy Cleanings Kyon-Kyon!)_

"So? What does it say?" Yuki asked. "Shigure's looking for the key you hid to unlock the refrigerator and won't stop looking until dinner arrives." Kyo crumbled up the note.

"Figures." Kyo sighed. "That lazy bastard."

**Change in POV**

"AAAAAAAAH!" Tohru screamed, looking at her watch. It read 5:45. "Oh no! I fell asleep!" Tohru backed her bag and ran out of the library.

"I'll never make it to work in time!" Tohru panicked.

"Hey! Tohru!"

Tohru turned around to see Momiji Sohma behind her. "Hi ya Tohru!" Momiji greeted Tohru, following her.

"Not now Momiji-kun! I have to get to work!" Tohru exclaimed. "It's okay if you're late Tohru, I'll explain to Papa that I needed your help." Momiji replied.

Tohru slowed down. _"Oh yeah…I forgot. Momiji-kun's dad is my boss."_ Tohru thought, feeling a bit more relieved.

"Okay Momiji-kun, what to you need help with?" Tohru asked. "Well…" Momiji smirked. "I need your help to beat you my Papa's building! Race ya Tohru!" Momiji laughed, running off and leaving Tohru in his dust.

"Hey! Momiji-kun! Momiji-kun, that wasn't fair! _**MO-MI-J!-KUNNNN!!**_" Tohru ran after the usagi.

**At Tohru's job/Inside of Momiji's Father's Building**

"I'm..so..out…of…breath…" Tohru gasped in between breaths of air. "I…beat you…Tohru…" Momiji said, out of breath as well.

"Only because you cheated!" Tohru slightly pushed Momiji in a playful way. "Yeah, but I still won!" Momiji winked.

"Well, it's time to work!" Tohru tied a rag around her head. "Let me take that from you!" Tohru took a dozen buckets that were stacked on top of each other from one of the elder workers.

"Thanks you." The elder worker thanked Tohru. "No problem." Tohru smiled. "Just doing my job."

"Tohru, today, Papa said that all you have to clean is the first 5 floors." Momiji informed the onigiri. "'Kay Momiji-kun, I'm on it!" Tohru ran to the elevator.

"Oh man. Now that Tohru's working, who can I play with?" Momiji pouted, upset that he had no one to play with.

"I know! I'll go and find Hari and Haru! Yah, that's a great idea!" Momiji ran out of the building in search of Hatori and Hatsuharu.

**Change in POV**** (1 hour later: 7 o'clock pm)**

"Wow, this place is so shiny!" Shigure exclaimed. "And so clean!" "No thanks to you!" Kyo yelled.

"Are you upset that I let you and Yuki clean up all by yourselves?" Shigure asked. "What do you think?!" Kyo snapped.

"I knew you wouldn't be angry! I've got dinner!" Shigure held up the ordered out dinner and set them down on the table.

"One for Yun-yun, one for Kyo-Kyo, and one for me, Shi!" Shigure began to eat his dinner as though he hadn't eaten for days.

"Shigure…Have you been drinking?" Yuki asked. "A little bit." Shigure answered. "But I'm not drunk."

"Of course you're not, because you're always drunk. Acting drunk if just your nature." Kyo muttered.

"Say as you might, but I have great news!" Shigure replied. Yuki and Kyo sat down, beginning to eat as well.

"What is it, Shigure?" Yuki inquired. "Well, I was thinking about inviting Aya to stay the night with us – " Shigure was cut off by Yuki standing up and towering Shigure while Shigure shrunk and black surrounded them.

"Great. Someone's been playing with the lights again." Kyo sighed. "Get out. Don't eat another bite. Leave. Right now." Yuki pointed to the door.

"I was only a suggestion!" Shigure exclaimed quickly. "I don't care. Ayame's not coming over here." Yuki sat down.

"Ayame? Oh hell no! That guy's an idiot! Just listening to him speak kills me! Hearing him blabbing all night long would be the death of me!" Kyo cried.

"And now you know how I feel when you open your mouth." Yuki retorted. "Shut up Rat!" Kyo hissed.

"Now, now boys. Miss. Tohru wouldn't like it if she heard you two arguing again, now would she?" Shigure pointed out to the boys.

"…You're right. Miss. Honda would be a bit happier if we got along a little better." Yuki agreed with Shigure.

"But Tohru ain't here, so I don't have to get along with girly-boy here until she walks through that door!" Kyo pointed to the door.

"That's the back door, stupid. Why would she come in the house through the back door?" Yuki sneered.

"Can it, Rat Face!" Kyo snapped. "You're just mad because I'm right any you wrong. As always." Yuki responded.

"Yuki, do you want a piece of this? You tryna start somethin'?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to end it too!"

"You know Yuki, I'm getting sick of you! You wanna settle things between us? You wanna fight?" Kyo got in a fighting stance.

"I thought you were never gonna ask." Yuki stood up."Here they go again." Shigure sighed. "Will these two ever learn?"

**Change in POV**** (5 hours later)**

"Phew. I'm finally…done." Tohru wiped the sweat from her forehead. Within the last 6 hours, Tohru had sweep and mopped all floors, cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed and neatened the office areas, cleaned all the furniture and glass materials, wiped all windows, taken out the trash, cleaned the elevators, and make the kitchens and meeting room spic and span.

Tohru changed back into her sailor dress and grabbed her belongings. "I'm going home now! Bye!" Tohru waved to the elderly workers as she left.

"_Momiji-kun must've left while I was cleaning."_ Tohru thought. _"Oh well, it's a good thing really. I still need to go to the store anyway, and I wouldn't want him to have to go to the trouble of waiting on me again."_

As soon as Tohru got to the market, she grabbed a grocery basket and put things like meats, fruits, vegetables, and rice in it.

"_I wonder how Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun are doing at home…They're probably arguing."_ Tohru sighed.

"_Well, at least they try to get along when I'm around. Or to not get in fist fights. That's good."_

Tohru placed all of the items in her basket on the checkout counter and waited for the man to scan them.

"That'll be 25.99." The cashier held his hand out. Tohru flinched_. "Oh no! I knew I forgot something!"_ Tohru gasped mentally.

"_I forgot my purse! And my money!"_

"Do you have any money?" The cashier asked.

"I'll pay for it."

Tohru turned around to see a girl about her age hand the cashier two 20 dollar bills. _"Who is she?"_ Tohru wondered.

The girl had chocolate brown skin with long wavy black hair that fell just below her shoulder blades and mysterious black eyes.

She wore a white long sleeve shirt covered by a sleeveless black shirt that fit tightly on her body, a short black skirt with a white belt hanging diagonally across her waist, white ankle socks, and black shoes.

The cashier bagged Tohru's groceries and handed the girl 14 dollars and a penny back.

"Here." The girl handed one bag to Tohru and held the other. "Thank you." Tohru thanked the girl.

"No problem." The girl smiled. "So…Why'd you help me?" Tohru asked as walked out of the store with the girl.

"You looked like you forgot your purse at home, so I decided to help out. I was just being generous and kind." The girl replied.

"What's you name?" Tohru asked. "Oh, where are my manners? My name's Rena Tsujitani." The girl answered.

"Renee?" Tohru repeated. "Yup. That's how u say my name. But u spell it R - E - N - A instead of R - E - N - E - E. Long A." Rena told Tohru.

"Tsujitani? Are you part Japanese?" Tohru asked. "You could say that." Rena answered. "My name's Tohru Honda." Tohru introduced herself.

"T…Tohru Honda?" Rena repeated. 'Yep, that's me!" Tohru nodded. _"This girl can't be . Maybe she has the same name as Tohru…"_ Rena trailed off.

"_No, she has to be her. This Tohru Honda girl looks __**just like **__our Tohru Honda. And she wears the same smile that only our Tohru could ever wear."_

Um, Tohru, what was your mother's name?" Rena asked. "My mom's name? Kyoko Honda." Tohru answered.

"_That does it! She has to be Tohru, I just know it! I've finally found her!"_ Rena thought. "_But I'd better keep an eye on her, to be sure."_

"Ohhh, I have a perfect idea!" Tohru exclaimed. "Rena, can I introduce you to my friends?" Tohru asked.

"Friends?" Rena raised a curious eyebrow. "Yah. Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun, and Shigure-san. They're nice people, I promise! Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun do argue and fight, but other than that, it's very peaceful at our home."

"You mean Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Sohma?" Rena asked. Tohru nodded. "Yeah. Do you know them?"

"Kinda." Rena murmured. "Why do you look so sad, Rena-chan?" Tohru asked. "It's nothing, Tohru." Rena responded.

"So? Are you gonna introduce me to these boys or what?" Rena grinned. "You mean I can?!" Tohru asked excitedly.

"Sure you can." Rena replied. "YAH! Come on Rena-chan!" Tohru grabbed Rena's hand, running off and causing Rena to be lifted off of the ground, flying after Tohru as she ran.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Rena sighed_. "But at least now I'll know where to find Tohru."_

"_And if this girl is the Tohru I know, then Yuki and Kyo must be the Yuki and Kyo I know. I won't fail completing my mission to protect Tohru Honda."_

"_The fate of the worlds depends on her single existence."_

**Me: How was that?**

**SWD: Not too bad.**

**Me: Yah!**

**SWD: But not too good either.**

**Me: (pouts) Meanie.**

**Tohru: So we've finally met the mysterious girl.**

**Rena: Correction, you've finally met the mysterious girl: ME! **

**SWD: Why does the fate of the world depend on Tohru's existence? Why is it Rena's mission to protect Tohru? How does Rena know Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure? And just where did Rena come from anyway?**

**Me: Well, it'll go ahead and tell ya, you won't know the exact answers to those questions for a few chapters, but you will get clues and hints and stuff.**

**Tohru: I wonder how Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure are gonna react to meeting Rena…**

**Rena: The same way I'd react if my friend brought a total stranger to my house.**

**SWD: And that would be?**

**Rena: Investigate the person and make sure there isn't a legal weapon on them.**

**Me: Smart.**

**Tohru: Where's Yuki? And Kyo?**

**Me: Busy fighting. I sent them outside so they wouldn't make a mess, cause I don't wanna clean it up.**

**SWD: I know that right.**

**Rena: Well, read an re – **

**Kyo: DAMN YOU YUKI!!**

**Yuki: Ha. I beat you. Again.**

**Kyo: I'll get you one of these days you little rat, I swear it!**

**Rena: ... – view…Read and review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: I'm back!**

**Kyo: Great. That's just what we needed.**

**Me: (Begins to sing) Oh, Ka-gu-ra!**

**Kyo: NO! DON'T CALL HER!**

**Me: Then behave.**

**SWD: Half Sister, Sister's here!**

**Me: She is?!**

**Anna: 'Ello Sister, Ello Half sister!**

**SWD: 'Ello Sister!**

**Me: 'Ello Half Sister!**

**Anna/SWD/Me: We're the three musketeers! (pretends to wave swords in the air)**

**Kyo: (mutters under breath) More like the three idiots if you ask me.**

**Anna: I want some cinna-mina-nem!**

**Me: …You mean cinnamon?**

**Anna: That's what I said! Cinna-mina-nem!**

**Yuki: It's cinnamon.**

**Anna: Yes, CINNA – MINA – NEM!**

**Tohru: ...O.o…**

**Rena: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but me.**

Chapter Three

"Shigure, what time is it?" Yuki asked his older cousin while staring out of the window and into the darkness, trying to see if Tohru had returned yet.

"Hmmm…Let me see…It's about…Two in the morning." Shigure answered. "It's getting late."

"Yes, it is. Honda-san should've been here by now." Yuki turned away from the window.

"Do you think something happened to her? To Tohru?" Kyo asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Now, now, let's not say negative things. Let's stay on the positive side of things." Shigure began to flip through the channels on their new TV.

"Nothing good will come of negative thinking. I'm sure that Tohru's on her way home as we speak." Shigure yawned, trying to keep his cousins on the positive side.

"Yeah, whatever." Kyo mumbled. "But if she whines up on the milk carton, I'm gonna blame _you_ for her being missing."

"Now Kyo, blaming me won't bring Tohru home any faster." Shigure ran a hand through his short black hair.

Suddenly, the Sohma cousins heard a knock on the door. "Or maybe it will." Yuki retorted for Kyo.

Shigure floated to the door, humming a soft melody. "Yes? Who is it?" Shigure sang as he approached the door.

"Use some sense Shigure! Who the hell do you _think_ it is? The Easter bunny?' Kyo stood up.

"Well, that _could_ be a _pretty_ good guess Kyo." Shigure smirked, purposely trying to aggravate Kyo.

"Dammit Shigure, it's Tohru! Do you ever use your brain? Hell, do you even _have_ a brain?" Kyo snapped at Shigure.

Yuki pushed Shigure aside and opened the front door. "Hello Honda-san." Yuki stopped in midsentence and blinked a few times at the girl accompanying Tohru.

Kyo walked past Shigure, who had been knocked to the floor by Yuki and was now crawling to the table, walked up to the door, and glanced to Rena.

"And just who the hell are you?" Kyo demanded with an attitude. Rena's eyes widened. _"It's Kyo. And Yuki. It's really them…"_

"My…my name's Rena Tsujitani." Rena whispered, avoiding eye contact with either of the Cat or the Rat of the Juunishi. "I am _very_ honored to finally meet the two of you."

"_I can't blow this. I can't let them know anything. Not yet. Now is not the right time to tell them. No matter how awkward this feels."_ Rena thought.

Bowing before Yuki and Kyo and greeting them as though she had never met them before felt like total Déjà Vu to Rena.

I mean, this _is_ kinda how she first met Kyo and Yuki. She knew very well who they were. It was all too weird to do it again. And besides…

She would rather _die_ than have to bow to _Kyo_.

"_Even if I'm gonna regret not telling them, I have to stay focused on my mission and my mission alone. I have to act normal." _Rena reminded herself.

"She's a new friend of mine. I met her at the store." Tohru explained. "…Tohru…How long have you know this girl?" Yuki asked.

"For the last hour and a half." Tohru answered. Yuki sweat dropped and sighed. "You idiot, you're not suppose to bring a total stranger to our house!" Kyo began yelling at Tohru.

"You don't even know who the hell she is! What the hell is the matter with you?! What if she had tried to hurt you, Tohru?! What if she had tried to kill you?! I was…I was worried that something had happened to you!"

"Gomen ne Kyo-kun! Gomen, gomen, gomen nasai!" Tohru apologized over and over again.

"Don't yell at Tohru! She hasn't done anything wrong!" Rena defended Tohru. "Nothing but hang out with some girl that could've killed her!" Kyo snapped.

"I…I would never do such a thing to Tohru." Rena murmured. "And just because you say it, I'm supposed to believe you? Yeah right!" Kyo snorted.

Rena glared at Kyo, becoming anger at him. "Kyo! I would _never_ hurt Tohru! _Never_! I would rather _die_ than to _ever_ lay my hands on Tohru in a harmful way!" Rena began yelling, tears in her eyes.

"What the hell?" Kyo took a step back. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?! Tohru is my friend! And I would give my life to protect hers!" Rena continued.

"And another thing, who the _hell_ do you think you are yelling at Tohru? The last time I checked, you don't pay any bills around this place, now do you? So you have _no_ right or authority whatsoever to speak to me or Tohru in such a manner! A _real_ man would _never_ raise his voice at a woman!" Rena calmed down.

"And... And I'm sorry if Tohru being out so late with me bothered you, Kyo. I know… I'm a total stranger. Why should you trust me, right?" Rena felt her tears fall.

"_If only I had protected her… If only I hadn't been too late…Then I wouldn't be here in the first place. And Tohru wouldn't be…"_ Rena started crying.

"Wait, are you crying? Please, stop crying already!" Kyo tried to hush Rena. "Well, you did yell at her and accuse her of being a murderer." Yuki pointed out. _"But I do agree, she does seem a little too touchy for someone whose just met Honda-san..."_

"Shut up Yuki." Kyo growled. "Please, Tsujitani-san, stop crying. Kyo didn't mean to be rude. He was just worried about Honda-san." Yuki tried to get Rena to stop crying.

"I…I can't, Yuki. Everything's _my_ fault. Tohru will _never_ forgive me. My friends will _never _forgive me. What I have done is unforgivable." Rena wiped away her tears.

"_I can't cry now. I have to stop them. Before they get to Tohru. I have to protect her this time."_ Rena thought.

"I should've never came here in the first place." Rena turned to leave. "No, wait Rena-chan!" Tohru grabbed Rena's hand.

"Please Rena-chan, stay a bit longer. Please?" Tohru reasoned. "…I never could say no to you, Tohru." Rena muttered under her breath. "Okay. I'll stay. But only because you asked me to."

"What happened to her? What's her fault?" Kyo asked Yuki as Rena and Tohru walked into the house.

"I don't know." Yuki answered truthfully. "But I intend to find out."

"Well, well, well! Now who might this lovely young lady be?" Shigure asked, walking up to Rena.

"You must be Shigure." Rena bowed. "Tohru told me all about you." "Really? She did? Did she mention how attractive I am?" Shigure said, acting like Ayame.

"_He's acting like Ayame."_ Rena thought, sweat dropping. "No, but after what she told me, I imagined you to be much…well…younger. And not to be so flabby._ Oji-chan_." Rena taunted, knowing how Shigure would react.

"I'm not _that_ old!" Shigure pouted. "And I _do too_ have muscles! They're just…_really_ small…"

"If I had to guess how old you were, I'd say …Oh…56 years old. And you look _pretty_ flabby to me!" Rena teased Shigure.

"You know, you may be cute, but you're not nice at all." Shigure pouted. "What they say is true. Looks can be deceiving."

Rena giggled. "I'm only kiddin' Shigure-san! You look very young. And very handsome." Rena held out her arms to hug Shigure.

"I'm glad you think so." Shigure grabbed Rena's hands before she could hug him. _"Oh yeah…the curse…As long as I'm not sure Tohru knows about it, I'm gonna have to be careful about how I hug them."_ Rena thought.

"Well, how about you introduce me to Mr. Perfect hair and skin and Mr. Attitude?" Rena asked Tohru.

"I don't have an attitude!" Kyo fumed. "Why thank you for the compliment. That was very nice of you." Yuki thanks Rena.

"_I always liked Yuki better than I liked Kyo."_ Rena thought, proving her point as to why she thought that way. _"Yuki is nice and cool, and Kyo's hot-headed and arrogant."_

"Oh yeah! Um, let me put up the groceries first!" Tohru ran into the kitchen. "Um, why are the refrigerator and the cabinets chained up?" Tohru asked.

"Oh, here, I'll take the chains down." Yuki pulled the key out of his pocket and walked into the kitchen.

Shigure anime fell. "You mean this whole time, Yuki had the key?! I wasted my time looking for that key for nothing?!" Shigure cried in bewilderment.

"That's the way it looks." Kyo sat down. Rena sat down as well, at the opposite side of the table.

"Just where did you come from?" Kyo asked. "I'm in no position to answer that." Rena replied.

"Why not?" Kyo inquired. "Are you hiding something from us?"

"I live around here, okay?" Rena responded.

"Something's telling me you're not telling me everything."

"You didn't ask."

Before Kyo could even retort, Tohru and Yuki returned. "So Yuki, I'd really like to know, what year of the zodiac were you born in?" Rena asked.

"_She's up to something." _Kyo realized. "The year of the Rat." Yuki replied. "Really? I was born in the year of the Snake." Rena informed.

Yuki flinched and frowned, "Did you just say…Snake?" "Relax Yuki. I'm only playing. Tohru says you have a brother whose born in the year of the snake. I was really born in the year of the Rabbit." Rena assured Yuki.

"Oh great. That's just what I needed. Another Momiji." Kyo muttered. "WAAAAAHHH! TOH – RU! KYO'S BEING MEAN AGAIN!! WWWWAAAAAHHHHH!!" Rena whined the same way Momiji did when Kyo hit or yelled at him.

"_It used to be so funny when Kyo and Momiji would argue."_ Rena chuckled to herself. "Alright Rena, if that is even your name, tell us, why the hell are you here?" Kyo demanded.

"Kyo!" Tohru elbowed Kyo. "Don't elbow me Tohru! I know she's hiding something! Something that has something to do with us! That's why she wouldn't tell me!" Kyo explained.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rena insisted. "I really don't. Why are you so angry?"

"Look, I don't like it when people lie to me, and I know that's what you're doing. I can feel it." Kyo stood up.

"What are you talking about? I just met you like, 10 minutes ago. What is there for me to lie about? I don't even know you!" Rena exclaimed.

Kyo and Rena exchanged glares, neither one giving in to the other's glare. Minutes of silence pasted before anything was said.

"…I still don't trust you, so that you know." Kyo muttered, breaking the silence and turning away from Rena's returing glare.

"That's okay, we just – " Rena stopped. "Oh no," Rena groaned. "They found me." "Who found you Rena-chan?" Tohru asked, worried.

"I have to go Tohru." Rena stood up. "But please, whatever you do, don't go outside. Not until it's morning time. They'll come after you if you do." Rena turned around and bumped into Kyo, falling into his arms.

But Kyo didn't transform.

Tohru gasped. "Ooops! Gomen ne! I didn't mean to bump into you!" Rena apologized on her way out the door.

"I…I didn't transform…" Kyo's eyes widened. "Is she…Is she part of the zodiac members?" Tohru asked Shigure.

"No, she's not. I know all of the members, and Rena isn't one of them." Shigure answered."And I know she's a girl, I recognize the body parts."

"Shigure, you're a pervert." Yuki sighed. "This could be a problem. I might have to report her to Akito." Shigure scratched his head.

"No. Don't take her to Akito." Tohru ordered. "What? Why?" Shigure inquired. "I…I don't know where that came from…But I think…I think she's... I think Rena-chan is afraid of Akito." Tohru told Shigure.

"Don't ask me where this is coming from, but something is telling me Rena-chan's not here to hurt us. She's…she's trying to protect me... Us... for some reason."

"What is there for her to protect _us _from?" Kyo raised a curious eyebrow. "I don't know. But I do know Rena-chan knows about you guys. She knows about the Sohma Family Curse, I'm almost certain. She…she's trying to protect us. All of us." Tohru said to the Sohmas.

"But from what?" Yuki asked Tohru. "And where is all of this coming from?" "I…I don't know anything else. It's like… Like someone was trying to talk to me through my own thoughts. Through my mind." Tohru tried to explain.

"So what do you think it means, Tohru-kun?" Shigure asked. "Someone or some_thing _wants us dead…Rena-chan's trying to protect us…And Akito has something to do with Rena." Tohru told Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo.

"I'm certain of it now. Rena-chan's hiding something from us, because she's trying to protect us from it."

**Me: Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Laugh at it. Say it sucked. I know it did. I didn't explain the whole Rena thing again because I need it for a different chapter. But go ahead, you can flame me if it sucked horribly, because I really think I messed this chapter up. (Just don't making the flame too mean! Make it a nice flame!)**

**Anna: Yes Half sister, you surely did.**

**Me: Thanks for telling the truth.**

**SWD: EGP, Anna's playing!**

**Kyo: I'm not! That sucked! Horribly!**

**Me: I think I need to hold something. I feel depressed. (Hugs Kyo who transforms into a cat and hugs him tightly, squeezing him) I feel pitiful…**

**Rena: …Look at it this way EGP, if you don't like this chapter, then maybe the reviewers will.**

**Me: Sure. Okay.**

**Yuki: …She'll be fine by the next chapter.**

**Me: And now, I shall begin to play a sad song on the world's smallest violin. (begins to play a finger violin, which isn't real)**

**Kyo: (Squished in EGP's tight embrace) Help…Me…Can't…Breathe…Need… Oxygen….**

**Tohru: …Read and review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Okay peoples, I seriously have NO clue what I'm writing for this chapter, so I'm just gonna make it up as I go, 'kay?**

**Yuki: You seriously haven't thought about what you're going to write yet?**

**Me: Not really.**

**Rena: …Well that's not good.**

**Me: You get a big scene.**

**Rena: **_**THAT'S**_** good.**

**Kyo: Whatever, let's just start it. Before your "Half Sisters" get here.**

**SWD/Anna: Too late, Kyon-Kyon.**

**Kyo: I **_**hate **_**it when they call me that.**

**Tohru: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena.**

Chapter Four

_**--Rena's Dream--**_

"_I've gotta…Save Tohru…" _Rena thought as she ran. _"I can feel it. She's in trouble. He beat me to her!"_

_**It's your fault, Rena**_

"No it's not my fault! I didn't know she was gonna be attacked!" Rena yelled at the voice speaking to her.

The voice that she despised more than anything else in the world.

_**You'd better hurry. Kyo, Yuki, and Kagura aren't gonna be able to hold out much longer**_

"What do you know? My friends are strong! They'll defeat you! I have total faith in them! They can hang on until I get back!" Rena snapped.

_**Friends? What friends do you have Rena? Honestly? As long as you are my slave, you will do as I say**_

"No! You promised to leave Tohru alone! You promised!" Rena yelled blindly, not knowing where the voice was coming from.

It was everywhere.

The voice surrounded her.

The voice engulfed her

She couldn't outrun it.

She couldn't block it out.

It wanted to be heard by her.

To torture and torment her.

Forever

_**That was before I knew she had such incredible powers**_

"What do you want with Tohru anyway?"

_**I want her power**_

"And let me guess, to get her power, you have to kill Tohru, so knowing that all four of us together could stop your akuryous, you had me do after the decoy akuryou and had Yuki, Kyo, and Kagura go after the real thing."

_**Aren't we the smart one?**_

"Shut up! Why are you doing this to me? Why won't you just leave me and my friends alone?"

_**Because, it amuses me to see such fear expressed on your face at the mere sight of me. I want power Rena! I want to rule!**_

"But why do you have to kill so many innocent people? Why?"

_**To feed to my Akuryous, of course. They eat human flesh to sustain their life force **_

"You monster!"

_**If you think I'm a monster now, just wait until you see what I did to your so called friends**_

"No…" Rena fell to her knees. Before her laid the lifeless bodies of her 4 best friends.

_**Kyo Sohma**_

_**Yuki Sohma**_

_**Kagura Sohma**_

_**And Tohru Honda.**_

They were all covered in blood, laying motionlessly in a puddle of their own blood. Rena slowly crawled over to her friends with tears in her eyes.

"Yuki!" Rena shook Yuki violently

He wouldn't move

"Kyo, please, don't be dead!" Tohru checked for Kyo's pulse.

It was gone.

"Kagura, speak to me!" Rena screamed, checking Kagura's heartbeat.

Kagura's heart had stopped a long time ago.

"T…Tohru…please." Rena felt Tohru's skin.

She was as cold as ice.

Rena pulled Tohru's dead body in her arms, crying into it. "I'm so sorry Tohru! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know!"

"Please Tohru, open your eyes. Don't die on me! Open your eyes!" Rena shook Tohru. 'Re…na…chan..." Tohru said with her last breath.

"TOHRU!" Rena screamed, shaking Tohru, desperately trying to wake her up. "Don't…Don't go. Please…Don't leave me Tohru…" Rena cried.

"Rena."

Rena looked up.

It was Akito.

"Akito?" Rena whispered. "Who…who did this to them? Who sent the Akuryou after them? Akito, please, don't tell me you're a part of this!"

Akito simply grinned and started to get farther and farther away from Rena. Rena heard the same voice's laughter ring in the air as Akito soon left her sight.

"AKITO!"

_**--End of Rena's Dream--**_

Rena woke up screaming, covered in a cold sweat. Rena looked around herself. She was in a tree in the woods near the Sohma's house.

"_I must've fallen asleep after I defeated that Akuryou."_ Rena thought, swiping away her sweat.

Rena sighed and pulled a small circular communicator out of her pocket and pushed the button, sending a signal to someone.

"Hello?" A male voice asked from the communicator. "Is something the matter?" "No, it's just…I keep having that same nightmare. You know…The one about Tohru and the other's death.

"I can't blame ya for having them. The only true friends you ever had, you're best friends, were killed before your very eyes." The male voice replied.

"I know, but…I feel so guilty. And worthless. I couldn't even make it in time to protect my friends, and I swore that I would." Rena sighed

"It's not your fault, you were busy battling a level 6 Akuryou. You were lucky to make it out alive."

"Yeah, but it was a decoy!"

"A level 6 decoy!"

"Shii, I know you're trying to help, but it's not working."

"Let me guess Rena, you think you can't handle all these Akuryous by yourself so you want to come back home, right?"

"Right."

"But what about Tohru and the others?"

"…I want to save them…But I can't do it…"

"Have you met the Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki in this world?"

"Yes Shii, but I haven't found Kagura yet."

"Why don't you help them unlock their powers?"

"Because, I don't want them to get hurt."

"Then what about Akito?"

"I haven't seen him yet, and I hope the Akuryou haven't either, because if they have…Then he'll get him memory back, and it'll be just like facing the Akito from our home world."

"Rena, you'll be surprised what a person can do when they put their whole mind to it."

"But you know the story between me and Akito! You know what he used to do to me! I know that that I'm terrified of him!"

"That may be so, but it's your choice. Save Tohru and the other by facing Akito, or, let them be killed again and not face Akito."

"Or I could resort to opinion three…"

"Do not be so hasty to throw your life away Rena! You're only 16! You're still so young!"

"Yes, but you know, if I am not able to succeed, I'll have to do it."

"Are you sure?"

"I am, Shii. Perhaps I will pay Tohru a visit."

"Are you going to try to tell them? About their future?"

"Hmmm…Perhaps. If Kyo doesn't kill me for lying to them. But he must understand…I was doing it only to protect him and the others."

"Well, whatever the case, you'd better hurry. My communicator's telling me there's been another Akuryou sighting."

"I'm on my way."

"Oh, and Rena? You know that you'll have to stop running away from Akito eventually, right? He will find you."

"Easy for you to say. You don't know what I've been through. You don't understand the meaning of the word pain."

"Perhaps not. But do you wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Because of you. You try so hard to protect every single person around you and to stop anyone from suffering like you did. I admire your courage. But don't beat yourself up if you're not able to save a few strangers here and there, okay? It's the Akuryous job to beat you up."

"Oh thanks, now I feel _really_ confident!"

"No need to thank me. Just doin' my job."

"Well, bye Shii. I've gotta get to work."

"See ya soon Kiddo. I hope."

Shii signed off and Rena closed her communicator. _"I hope I see you soon too, Shigure."_ Rena thought.

"_How I wish it didn't have to come to this."_ Rena jumped out of the tree. _"But I must do everything in my power to protect Tohru and the other Sohmas."_

"I have been given a second chance, and I'm not gonna waste it!" Rena ran off. "I just hope I'm not too late to stop the Akuryou from showing Akito his future."

**At the Sohma Estate**

Akito Sohma began to drag his feet across the floor, finding that he was quite bored. _"These fools are just waiting for me to die."_ Akito thought coldly.

"_Nobody cares about me. Nobody cares if I die. Nobody even asked me if I wanted to die!"_

"_Grrrrr…Why?! Why am I burdened with the core of the Sohma Family Curse? Why not Ritsu, or some other pathetic idiot in this stupid family? Why me?!"_

"_I was born to die. Nothing more, nothing less. Ever since the day I was born, they've been waiting for me to die. Every single last one of them!' _Akito smashed his vase.

Akito slumped to his knees. _"Why must I die to protect those ungrateful bastards? Why must I die so that they can be happy? Why?_" Akito demanded as thought there was someone to answer his question.

_**Akito**_

"What the?" Akito's head snapped up. "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

_**I'm you**_

"Don't play stupid with me! Who the hell are you?!"

_**I told you Akito, I am Akito Sohma! I am you! Do you wish to have power? Do you wish for everyone to respect you? Do you wish to rule? Do you wish…To live?**_

"…Yes. More than anything. I want to live. And I want to teach everyone single one of these bastards a lesson for trying to send me off to my grave!"

_**Then your wish shall be granted. All you have to do is let them show you.**_

"Let who show me what?"

_**Let the Akuryou show you. Let them take over your memory and show you your future!**_

"How will seeing my future help me any?"

_**You will finally be able to live and to became invincible! To have limitless power! And to rule! All you have to do is let them show you how**_

"How do I do that?"

_**Just close your eyes and open your mind Akito. Let them take over for awhile. I am your future self. I cannot live without you. I promise you, they will not hurt you. And once you share my memories and know your future, they will obey you. And help you kill Tohru Honda.**_

"Why must I kill her?"

_**You will see, Akito. You will see.**_

All of a sudden, black goo-creatures that take one a human-like shaped form surrounded Akito.

They had him cornered. "Wha? What is this?" Akito whispered.

_**Do not be afraid. They are the Akuryous. They will not hurt you. **_

The Akuryous began to move closer and closer to Akito, eventually piling over him. Akito felt like he was drowning.

Drowning in a ocean of black goo

And there was no escape. All of a sudden, images flashed through Akito's mind, showing him everything about his future without leaving out a single detail.

Soon, the images came to an end, and the Akuryous vanished. Akito looked at himself. He was now in his black school uniform outfit.

_**Akito, do you remember now? Do you know why you are cursed?**_

"Yes. It was that wretched Tsujitani woman. And the first Juunishi God of the Sohma family. She betrayed him, and he killed her. That is when the curse begun. That Tsujitani woman was reincarnated, and so was the First Juunishi God, but I, and that Rena girl, are the direct carnations of them. And so, we are the core of each curse." Akito stood up

_**Correct. And so, you know who your targets are?**_

"Yes. Yuki Sohma, Kyo Sohma, Kagura Sohma, Tohru Honda, and Rena Tsujitani."

_**You're main target?**_

"Tohru Honda."

_**Your main worry?**_

"Rena Tsujitani."

_**And your main nuisances?**_

"Kyo, Yuki, and Kagura Sohma."

_**Any others who would interfere with our plan directly?**_

"Hatsuharu Sohma, Momiji Sohma, Saki Hanajima, and Arisa Uotani."

_**Good. You know what to do?**_

"Yes."

_**Great. You may also find the Akuryous of use to you. They can also take the form of any human and living being it sees.**_

"Any human and living being?"

_**Any**_

"Good." Akito smirked. _"I will get everything I want for once in my life, and I will be happy! I __**refuse**__ to die!"_

**Me: Akito's determined to life, isn't he?**

**Kyo: Persistent bastard.**

**Tohru: (Eyes replaced with swirls, indicating that she's confused) Wait, how can there be two Akito-sans', and two Kyo-kuns', and two Yuki-kuns', and two Kagurachans' and two of me, and two Shigure-sans' and oohhh….I'm confused…**

**SWD: It's really simple if you think about it, really.**

**Tohru: (tries to think of a reasonable explanation and soon sighs, giving up) I don't have a reasonable explanation for this.**

**Me: I do.**

**Anna: Of course you do Half sister, you're the authoress, remember?**

**Me: Oh yeah! (slaps forehead) silly me!**

**Kyo: …Idiot.**

**Me: (growls) What'd you say?**

**Kyo: Oh nothing, EGP.**

**Me: Yeah, that's what I thought.**

**Rena: I hope you people liked reading this chapter as much as I liked starring in it!**

**Me: I hope you people liked reading this chapter as much as I liked typing it!**

**Anna: Half sister, **_**NO ONE **_**could like to type and write as much as you.**

**Kyo: Geek.**

**Me: Say what you will, but at least I'm getting good grades!**

**Kyo: That's not fair, because you're only going to the 7th grade!**

**Me: On the contrary, I'm technically **_**IN**_** 7th grade.**

**SWD: In 6 days.**

**Anna: With me and Sister!**

**Me/Anna/SWD: YAY! GO THREE MUSKETERS! (begins eating three musketeers chocolate bars.**

**Kyo: …I don't know them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: Alright people, it's time to be evil to you all! **

**Rena: (raises a curious eyebrow) And just how are you gonna do that? **

**Me: Those of you who want to know what Akito's gonna do with his new knowledge…I'm not gonna tell ya. Not now, at least. I'm gonna stop talking about him for awhile, and talk about Rena and the others. **

**Anna: Why? **

**Me: Well, because, she has a secret to tell them. A very unbelievable and dangerous secret. And it's up to them to believe her or not. **

**Kyo: And what happens if we don't believe her? **

**Me: You'll all die. **

**Tohru: …Wow, that one heck of a good reason to believe someone! **

**Me: Yep. And she's not gonna tell ya until the next chapter!**

**Kyo: (Anime falls) Then why are you telling us this **_**now**_

**Me: Cause I can.**

**SWD: You know EGP…Akito's a girl. **

**Me: WHAT?! What do you mean he's a girl?! **

**Anna: He. Is. A. She. That's what she means. **

**SWD: Yes, and we believe that Akito is in love with Shigure. **

**Me: …You just totally ruined my story. **

**SWD: You're welcome. **

**Me: Okay everyone, Akito is a pure BOY in my story, okay? He's not a girl, he's not a woman, and he's not anything in between! 'Kay? He's a 19 year old boy. **

**Kyo: (Turns slightly green) …I didn't need to know Akito was a girl…I didn't WANT to know Akito was a girl. **

**Me: I told you already, Akito's a full fledged boy in my story! **

**Tohru: Maybe that's why Akito's so obsessed with Yuki. **

**Yuki: (turns green) Please, stop. You're making me sick. **

**Me: Akito. Is. A. **_**BOY**_**! Period! End of discussion! He's a boy in my stories! And he doesn't like Shigure, because he's not gay! He's straight! **

**Kyo: Akito's a girl! **_**A GIIIIRRRRRRLLLLLL**_**!! **

**Me: NOT IN MY STORY! AKITO'S A BOY! A **_**BOOOOOOYYYYY**_**! **

**Yuki: Uhhhh…I'm gonna say he's a boy. **

**Kyo: That's only because it sickens you to think he's a girl! **

**Yuki: Exactly. **

**Rena/Tohru: …ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but me/Rena. **

Chapter Five

"_Where is that stupid Akuryou? I don't sense its presence any longer."_ Rena thought. Rena stopped running and pulled out her communicator.

"_Damn. The signal's gone. My radar can't pick up the Akuryous' presence either!" _Rena cursed under her breath.

"_I missed them…But there was so many of them in that one area! How could all of those Akuryous just disappear into thin air? It's impossible! Not unless…" _

"They've already found Akito!" Rena gasped. "Damn. Man am I gonna get a mouthful from Shigure and Hatori about this." Rena sighed, putting up her communicator.

"Oh well. Al least Ayame will be on my side. He always is. He's the coolest!" Rena turned around with a bright smile.

"Maybe I will be able to visit Tohru after all."

**Change in POV **

"Hmmm…" Tohru rubbed her chin, lost in deep thought. _"Why is Rena-chan trying to protect us? Who is after us? Why does she even care? And how does she know about the Sohmas?" _

"_Rena-chan said that she'd rather die than to lay her hands on me in a harmful way and that she'd give her life to protect mine. So…she must know me from somewhere…Right? _

"_But that's the funny thing…I've never met Rena-chan before in my life. And neither has Kyo, Shigure, or Yuki. So why is she trying to help us?" _

"_And, she said that everything's her fault. She said that her friends and I would never forgive her. She said what she did was unforgivable." _

"_Well, for starters…Just what is everything? And why is it her fault? Why wouldn't her friends forgive her? Why wouldn't __**I **__forgive her? I just met her!" _

"_Just what unforgivable thing did she do? And what about yesterday? Why didn't she want us to leave the house until morning? Who found her?" _

"_And how come I heard someone try to come in contact with me through my own thoughts? Who was that person and why'd they tell me? Does Rena-chan know anything about the voice as well? Did it talk to her too?" _

"This doesn't make any sense!' Tohru exclaimed, pulling at her hair in frustration. "Honda-san, don't stress yourself out trying to figure Tsujitani-san out." Yuki tried to get Tohru to relax.

"Yeah, I say you should just let me beat her scrawny ass." Kyo put his hands behind his head. "No silly! She's good, remember?" Tohru reminded Kyo.

"Do you honestly think I care?" Kyo snorted. "She could be the nicest sweetest push-over creampuff weakling that I've ever met and I'd _still_ beat her scrawny ass!"

"You don't mean that Kyo-kun." Tohru sweat dropped._ "I bet she'd beat you senseless before you even tried."_ Yuki thought, sweat dropping as well.

"Oh, K – _YO_!!"

Kyo trembled, slowly turning to face the door. "Kyo darling!" Kagura sang. "Dammit. It's her again!" Kyo cursed under his breath.

"Oh Kyo! Kyo, my love!" Kagura ran to Kyo with open arms. "NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Kyo backed up into the wall.

"But why Kyo? Why don't you want me to come to you?" Kagura asked. "Because, stupid, I don't love you! I hate you! You're crazy!" Kyo screamed.

"Kyo…" Kagura whispered, hurt. "Uh-oh." Kyo gulped. "KYO, HOW DARE YOU?!" Kagura towered Kyo, pouncing on Kyo and beginning to beat on him.

"YOU DON'T MEAN IT! YOU DON'T HATE ME! YOU _**LOVE**_ ME! YOU _**LOOOVVVEEE ME**_!" Kagura swung Kyo around in the air by his foot and threw him across the room.

"Please Kagura, don't wreck my house again." Shigure pleaded, his eyes closed and a stream of tears flowing from his eyes and his mouth hanging open.

"SAY IT KYO! SAY IT!" Kagura charged at Kyo. "TELL ME YOU LOVE ME! _TEEEELLLLL MEEEE_!" Kagura kicked Kyo, sending him flying through the closed front door.

"You're gonna have to fix that!" Shigure cried. "Doors aren't free, you know!

And causing him to land onto of a certain _someone_…

"Get…Off…Of…Me…You're…So…Damn...Heavy…"

Kyo looked underneath himself and saw that he was laying on top of Rena. "Rena!" Kyo snarled. "What are you doing here?!"

"Maybe I could tell you if you'd get off me, you heavy cat!" Rena retorted. "Ha! Don't you think I would've gotten off you if I could?" Kyo snapped. "That crazy boar's been beatin' on me again! My bodies too sore to move! And I think she broke my leg!"

"Serves you right!" Rena yelled at Kyo. "Let's not forget _who's_ on top of _who_! It's _you_ who's getting crushed, not me!" Kyo yelled back at Rena.

"So you admit you're a heavy overweight house cat?!"

"When the hell did the words 'I'm a heavy overweight house cat' come out of my mouth?!"

"Just now!"

"Shut the hell up before I punch you in your punk ass mouth, you stupid wretch!"

"Oh, so now we're _threatening_? And _name calling_? How very immature!"

"Immature? I'll show you immature!"

"What, are you gonna scream and threaten me to death? Cause right now, all that's accomplishing is busting my eardrums!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"Oh I'll make you alright!"

"Yu and what army?"

"Me and this _army_!"

"Oh Kyo, I'm _soooo _afraid of your _adorable_ little _kitten _friends, I'm _shaking_! Oh _please_ kitties, don't _lick_ me to death! _Really_ Kyo."

"Huh? What the hell?! Get away from me you stupid cats!"

"Don't tell me that those mere _kittens_ are the best army you've got!"

"Not the stupid cats, my fist, ya moron!"

"_Again_ with the immature name calling!"

"What is this? Is that…_my _Kyo? On top of another _woman_?! _MY_ Kyo??" Kagura gasped. "And he calls _me_ a sick pervert?" Shigure muttered.

"That's because you _are_ a sick pervert." Yuki retorted. "Uh-oh. Rena-chan came at the worst time ever." Tohru gulped. "And Kyo landed on the worst thing ever – Another girl."

"N-No Kagura! It's not what it looks like!" Kyo immediately shot up, ignoring the pain rushing through his body.

"I thought you said you're body was too sore for you to move." Rena sat up, mentally thanking the gods for removing the "heavy overweight house cat" from off of her.

"Because she scares me _so_ badly, my body moved on its own. It's like an instinct! I'm moving for dear _life_!" Kyo replied.

Rena looked up. Kagura was towering over her and Kyo with glowing eyes and a flame engulfing her.

"Kyo, are you cheating on me with this girl?" Kagura growled. "_Hell_ no! I'm not cheating on you, because we _**never were**_ together! And besides, I can't _stand _Rena!" Kyo exclaimed.

"Then why were you on top of her?" Kagura demanded. "Because wretch, you sent me flying and I landed on her!" Kyo shouted,

"Why didn't you get off of her?"

"Because woman, you freakin' broke my leg!"

"Are you trying to take my Kyo from me?" Kagura crossed her arms and glared at Rena. "No way! I'm so sorry if you had the wrong intentions, but Kyo's just not my type! He's just too much of a hot-headed idiot!" Rena told Kagura.

"What was that?!" Kyo yelled at Rena.

"You heard me, carrot top!" Rena snapped.

"I thought you said name calling was immature!"

"Not when _I_ do it!"

"Anyway, I'm very sorry we got off on the wrong foot, Miss. I hope you can forgive me. But let me advise you…Put your cat friend on a _diet_. _FAST_!" Rena stood up. "I think his _HEAVY_ body shattered a few bones in my poor body…"

Kagura giggled. "You really don't want Kyo, do you?" "Nope. I'd _kill_ myself before the day came when I found _Kyo_ attractive in the least." Rena kicked Kyo's head, making him fall backwards in pain.

"_YEOUCH!_!! What the hell was that for?!" Kyo demanded. "Shut up." Rena snapped. "First I get beat up by Kagura, now I get beat up by you? What the deal with the sudden male discrimination?"

"It's not _male_ discrimination, it's _Kyo_ discrimination." Rena retorted. "Wait a minute, did you say her name was _Kagura_?!"

"So what if I did?"

"Is her name Kagura _Sohma_?"

"So what if it was?"

Rena's eyes lit up as she took Kagura's hands. "Kagura! I'm _so_ glad to see you again!" Rena exclaimed.

"Wha?" Kagura furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I'm Rena Tsujitani, and I've come to talk with you, Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, and Tohru." Rena explained, grabbing Kyo's foot.

"Let's go in the house!" Rena smiled brightly as she walked with Kagura, dragging Kyo by his foot after them.

"What's with the sudden mood swing, huh?" Kyo fumed as he was dragged into the house by his foot, his veins popping out of his head.

"Well, something tell me this is gonna be quite an interesting conversation." Shigure walked into the house.

"More like stupid if you ask me." Yuki grumbled as he walked into the house with Tohru. "My…Door…" Shigure picked up the door with tears in his eyes.

"My precious door…I can't bear to look at it…"

"…I'm so sorry Shigure. Here, let me fix it." Kagura tried to take the door from Shigure, but ended up snapping it half.

"Kagura," Shigure's veins popped out of his head and throbbed, indicating that he was _pretty_ upset.

"Uhhhh…I can fix that." Kagura tried to take the door from Shigure again, but this time, it caught on fire and burned into a pile of ashes within 5 seconds.

"No, please, stop trying to help. You're done enough damage to my home." Shigure pushed Kagura to the table and sat her down.

"Just sit here and try not to break anything. Or set it on fire."

"How the hell did you set the door on fire Kagura?" Kyo asked. "I have _no_ idea." Kagura responded, still trying to figure that out herself.

"_Don't tell me she looked at it."_ Kyo thought. "_What they say is true. Looks can kill. And in Kagura's case, they can kill __**and burn**__!" _

"So, what are you doing here Rena?" Kyo sighed. "Um, before you tell us anything, can I ask you a question?" Tohru asked.

"Go on." Rena replied. "Um, well, last night after you left, I heard a voice in my heard." Tohru began.

"A voice?" Rena narrowed her eyes, looking serious. "_Don't tell me it was __**him**__!"_ "Yeah. When Shigure suggested reporting you to Akito, the voice told me you were afraid of Akito, and that you were trying to help us and stuff." Tohru informed.

"Was the voice male or female?"

"Male."

"I'm gonna _**KILL**_ him!" Rena growled. "Kill who? Do you know who it was?" Tohru asked. Rena nodded. "Please excuse me for a minute."

Rena turned her back towards the Sohmas and Tohru, pulled her communicator out, and pushed the button.

"Hello?" Shii picked up. "SHIGURE, YOU IDIOT!! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TALKING TO PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR MINDS?! IN THIS ERA, IT'S NOT NORMAL!" Rena yelled into the communicator.

"I'm sorry Rena, but she was gonna report you to Akito!" Shi explained.

"THAT REMINDS ME, HOW _DARE_ YOU TELL THEM I'M AFRAID OF AKITO?! I AM _NOT_!"

"That's not what you said this morning. Or for the last 3 years."

"SHUT UP SHIGURE! YOU'RE _SO_ LUCKY I CAN'T JUMP THROUGH THIS COMMUNICATOR AND KILL YOU!!"

"It was a simple mistake! I was only trying to protect you!"

"YOU WANNA PROTECT SOMETHING? THEN DO YOU JOB AND PROTECT TOHRU-HIME AND THE OTHERS' BODIES FROM HARM!"

"But it's _**soooo boooooring**_!"

"QUIT WHINING! YOU AGREED TO DO IT, SO DO IT!"

"But it don't wanna!"

"Shigure," Rena's vein popped out of her head. "You know that I mean well and love you and the others and would never want to hurt you, but…IF YOU _**EVER**_ DO SOMETHING SO STUPID AGAIN, I'LL RIP YOUR _**HEAD **_OFF!!"

"Excuse me?" A different male voice demanded. "I don't think I heard you clearly Rena. What's this about ripping my head off?"

"Shit! It's Hatori!" Rena gasped. "_Shigure must've ratted on me. I'll get him back for this!"_ "That's not proper language for a _princess_ to be using, now is it, Rena-_hime_?"

"No, Hatori-san." Rena sighed. "I'm sorry." "Wow, it's Rena! Is she alright? Did she find the Akuryous yet?" Another male voice asked eagerly.

"Ayame-san!" Rena exclaimed happily. "How are you?" "I'm quite fine, my dear. But you don't have to call me Ayame-san just because you're being watched by your new friends. You can still call me Ame and Hatori Tori if you want! We won't mind!" Ayame laughed.

"Watched?" Rena slowly looked over her shoulder to see Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, Kagura, and Tohru standing over her.

"What. The. _Hell_?" Kyo said slowly with disbelief. "That guy looks _**just like**_ Shigure!" Kagura pointed to the Shigure on the communicator.

"And you look just like Kagura-hime!" Shi gasped. "Is that…_**AYAME**_??" Yuki choked out.

"Why hello dear little brother!" Ayame waved. "I've missed you. So tell me, dearest brother, are you ready to meet me halfway yet?"

"Ayame or not, you're no brother of mine!" Yuki's vein popped out of his head. "Mwuhahahaha, you can't change the truth Yuki!" Ayame laughed.

"That's Ayame alright." Kyo muttered under his breath. "I'd recognize that annoying laugh _anywhere_!"

"Rena, you've _really_ got some explaining to do!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Tohru-hime!" Ayame and Shigure gasped, bowing. "Did they just call me _Princess _Tohru?!" Tohru gasped.

"Rena, what's going on around here?" Kyo crossed his arms. Rena gulped and turned around to face her friends.

Rena held up the communicator so that they could see the three men on it. "Kyo, Tohru, Yuki, Kagura, and Shigure, meet Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame Sohma from the Future!" Rena introduced.

"THE _FUTURE_?!" The five chorused, anime falling.

**Me: And there you have it! Chappie number 5! **

**SWD: That wasn't much of cliff hanger. **

**Me: Yeah, but I thought it was a nice little place to stop you guys. **

**Rena: Yay! Ame and Tori's here! **

**Anna: …Who? **

**Me: Ayame and Hatori. **

**SWD: From the future. **

**Me: Wouldn't it be cool if the Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori from the future met up with Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori from the past? **

**Yuki: No. One Ayame's one too many already. **

**Kyo: Two Ayame's?! Oh HELL no! **

**Rena: Why? Ame's fun! I like him! He's nice! **

**Yuki/Kyo: WELL HIS BIG MOUTH AND EVEN BIGGER EGO ISN'T!! **

**Rena: (huffs and pouts) You're just jealous cause Ayame's the coolest and you're not. **

**Kyo: No…Don't tell me she…looks **_**up**_** to Ayame?! **

**Rena: I already told you! Ame's the greatest ever! He's even cooler than Yuki! And a whole lot more fun and energetic! **

**Yuki: A little **_**TOO**_** energetic. **

**Kyo: You said it. **

**Tohru: Read and review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Sorry I haven't been updating lately, my dearest reviewers. My deepest apologies. It's just…****When I'm**** supposed to be on the computer, I have no energy at all to type, and then when I'm not supposed to, I have all the energy in the world! Weird, huh?**

**SWD: Yes. **_**VERY**_** weird.**

**Rena: Oh, and just so you people know…You say my name 'Rin-nay'. Like how you say Renee. Just like that, 'Rin-nay, Rin-nay, Rena.' EGP didn't have my name spelled Renee or Rene because she thought if she spelled it R-E-N-A it would be prettier. And shorter. (****Glares**** at EGP) Lazy little girl.**

**Me: Deal with it. But yeah, every time one of my schoolmates tried to guess her name, they'd call her Rina and I figured if the people I lived with couldn't say it right, the people on the internet wouldn't either.**

**SWD: She might seem like she's being picky, but she wants to make sure everyone knows how to pronounce Rena's name.**

**Rena: Yes,**** because I am a superstar!**

**SWD: Ha-ha, no you're not.**

**Me: Oh, and remember back in chapter 4 when Akito was saying stuff about his and Rena's great grandparents cursing each other? Well, I got a better idea, so let's say Akito was LYING to FOOL you GUILIABLE peoples and the TRUTH shall not be revealed for awhile.**

**SWD: Jeez EGP, you're making a lot of mistakes! **

**EGP: Ain't that cool?**

**Rena: …No…ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but me and a few other things.**

Chapter Six

"Yep! The Future!" Rena held up her hand and made the peace sign with one eye closed and smiling, a banner that said. "GO FUTURE!" written in Japanese waving above her head with streamers.

Kyo anime fell. "KNOCK IT OFF!" Kyo yelled at Rena. "Oh Yo-yo, quit being such a party pooper!" Rena laughed while she slapped Kyo on him back.

"_Yo-yo_?" Kyo fumed. "What kind of stupid name is that?" "It's _your_ stupid name!" Rena wrapped her arm around Kyo's shoulders. "Yo-yo!"

"Grrrrr….QUIT IT!" Kyo slapped Rena's arms away. "Ow…That hurt…"Rena rubbed her arm with tears. "How can you be so cruel Kyo?"

"The same way you can be so stupid!" Kyo snapped. "Ouch! That was mean Yo-yo!" Rena pouted.

"STOP CALLIN' ME YO-YO!" Kyo raged. "Humph! You'd always say that when I'd call you Yo-yo." Rena huffed. "Do you not like that name or something?"

"You're damn right I don't!" Kyo retorted, his cat ears and tail appearing. "Well…This is…interesting…" Yuki finally recovered from his anime fall.

"NO! NO! NO! I CAN'T BE A PRINCESS! I CAN'T BE! IT'S JUST TOO MUCH! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I JUST COULDN'T!" Tohru freaked out.

"Oh no Tohru, it's _very_ possible. In fact, everyone under the age of 18 in here is a prince or princess." Rena informed.

"Wow! I've always wanted to be a princess!" Kagura exclaimed. "I always knew I was one, at heart."

"Rats!" Shigure snapped his fingers. "I'm not a prince!" "Don't worry Shigure, you come from a royal family, and you're a Lord." Rena told the inu.

"YES!" Shigure cheered happily. "But what's all this about the Future thought?" Yuki asked. "Why are you telling us this?"

Rena looked at Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori, whose images were in the communicator in her hand.

Hatori nodded. "It's safe. You can do it." "Now that you know part of our little secret, I guess it's time for us to explain the whole thing." Rena closed her eyes and brought her communicator to her heart.

Rena began to chant a magic spell as a blue aura surrounded her body, causing her to levitate a few inches into the air.

"Does anyone where believe what we're seeing right now?" Shigure asked. "Nope." Kagura responded bluntly.

"What the hell is she doing?" Kyo whispered. "Maybe if you'd shut up, we'd all be able to figure it out." Yuki responded harshly.

Kyo simply glared at Yuki, but was too busy concentrating on whatever the hell Rena was doing.

Rena held her communicator out and a blue light emerged from it. "Gates of Time, open the pathway to the Future! Open them now as I command you, and let these modern day humans witness the Future!" Rena exclaimed.

The communicator shattered, a large blue portal taking its place. Rena stepped back from the portal. Arms and legs shot out of the portal.

"Ouch! Watch it That was my toe!"

"Screw your toe, you're standing on my hand!"

"Why do I bother putting up with the two of you?"

"Ahem." Rena cleared her throat. "Guys? We're waiting."

"Oh, yeah, right!"

Emerging from the blue portal and light came Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure.

From the Future.

"Ame! Tori! Shire!" Rena hugged the three. "It's been far too long, princess." Ayame held Rena by her chin."We were starting to think you weren't ever going to come back to us."

"Oh silly, you know I'd never abandon you guys!" Rena smiled. "This…is….freaky." Yuki said, wanting to wake up from this bad nightmare.

Too bad he wasn't asleep.

"By the way Rena, did you track down that Akuryou?" Hatori asked. "Well, uh, you see, er, the funny thing about that is…Ummm…Hahahaha…" Rena laughed nervously.

"You lost the Akuryou, didn't you?" Hatori inquired. "I'm so sorry. But it just vanished. Nothing could've been done." Rena hung her head in shame.

"I guess it's okay." Hatori sighed. "It's not like you're not gonna have a second chance to redeem yourself."

"So…You're not gonna yell at me and chase me around the room?" Rena asked. "No, but if you insist…" Hatori trailed off with a certain look in his eyes.

"No." Rena said quickly. "Hello Shigure!" Shigure from the Future greeted Shigure from the Past.

"Hello Shigure!" Shigure from the Past greeted Shigure from the Future. "Shigure!" The two Shigures' hugged.

"This has just turned into an idiots' convention." Yuki sighed. "Rena…How did you do that?" Tohru asked.

"The magic spell thingy? It's one of my special powers." Rena replied. "Shire, Tori, and Ame, this is Shigure, Yuki, Tohru, Kyo, and Kagura. From the past!" Rena introduced.

"Wow. They look _just like_ our Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori!" Tohru exclaimed. "Lord Kyo. Lord Yuki. Princess Kagura. Princess Tohru." Shire, Ayame, and Hatori kneeled.

**(Since the Shigure from the Future and the Shigure from the are in the same place, I'll be calling Shigure from the Future Shire ****or Shii ****and Shigure from the Past/Modern Day Shigure**** or one of his other nicknames****, so that I don't confuse you and myself. 'Kay?)**

"…I could get used to this." Kyo grinned. "Don't. Tori, Ame, and Shire are Lords too." Rena busted Kyo's bubble.

"Wait, but I've got a question. What if our Ayame and Hatori walked in? Then how would you address them?" Tohru asked Rena.

"You don't have to worry about that, because if the Ayame and Hatori from this time were to appear, Ayame and Hatori would have to hide or even go back home." Shire told Tohru.

"But why?" Kagura inquired. "The more people knowing about this will make it harder on us to erase their memory when this experience is over." Hatori explained.

"Tori-nii! Don't erase Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Kagura, and Shigure's memories!" Rena shouted at Hatori.

"But Rena-hime, you know that modern day humans should not know their Future. It's a strict rule!" Hatori exclaimed.

"It was also a strict rule that we weren't allowed to interact with humans from the past, but we're doing it, aren't we?" Rena retorted.

"But we had no other choice! Earth was doomed and at its most fearsome hour!"

"And in order to save our Future, we must protect their past! So they need they're memories! Just in case I decide to come back after it's all over!"

"But Princess – "

"I said no Tori! No means _no_! And as the Supreme Princess, I order you _not_ to erase their memory at _any time_ while we stay here!"

"…Yes, Small Lady. If that is your wish." Hatori sighed. "She knows how to get her way, doesn't she?" Shire said to the group of modern day humans with an amused smirk.

"Are you okay with this, Ame? Shire?" Rena asked. "As long as you're happy, my dearest princess, it makes me happy as well." Ayame replied.

"As long as it pleases you, my sweet flower, I am pleased too." Shire responded. "When the two of you say that, for some reason, it sounds illegal and perverted." Hatori muttered. "Now, it's time to get serious."

"My…my communicator busted…" Rena stared at her shattered communicator. "Don't worry, my pretty little flower, I brought you another one." Ayame handed Rena a brand new communicator.

"Thanks Ame!" Rena hugged Ayame. "No problem Rena." Ayame held Rena. "Now what Hatori said about getting serious…"

"Not _that_ serious, you idiot." Hatori 's vein popped out of his head and throbbed. "How can you even think about doing such a thing to the princess?!"

"Awww Hari, you never let me and Rena have any fun!" Ayame whined, winking at Rena, which only made her giggle.

"You're silly Ayame!" Rena laughed at the snake. "Uhhhh…What's going on around here? Are the two of you…Together?" Kagura asked.

"Hm? Me and Ame? Of course not! That's ridiculous!" Rena cried. "And kinda weird!"

"You see, Ayame, Shire and I were close friends of Rena's father. And when Rena was born, Ayame was the first to hold her, and was the first thing Rena saw, so ever since, she's really admired him and they've always been together. She spends more time with Ayame than she did her own family. They're really close." Hatori explained.

"Yep! Ame, Tori, and Shire were like Fathers to me! You know…Since I could never really be with my Dad or family too much…" Rena trailed off. "My Dad fought in a war before I was born and he never got the chance to recover…He was killed before he could…He was a really great Dad too…Even if he could never leave home and I'd always have to go to Tohru's Palace…"

"But that's okay! I still have Ame, Tori, and Shire, right? They have and always will be there for me!" Rena smiled. "_She smiles as thought nothing had happened."_ Yuki thought.

_"I don't know why, but I can see right through her act and I can read her heart as clear as day. Other than Ayame, Shire, and Hatori…There's no one else there for her anymore…"_

"Yuki. Are you trying to read my heart?" Rena asked, catching Yuki off guard. "Has my appearance somehow awaken your powers? I'm amazed really. I didn't think you could even use a bit of them for quite awhile."

"But enough about that!" Rena laughed. _"She's…She's so weird. It's like she knew I was trying to figure her out. Even when I didn't know I was doing it."_ Yuki thought.

"Are we ready to get this show on the road?" Hatori asked impatiently. "My, my Hatori, it's not like you to be impatient." Ayame sat down with Rena and Shire.

"When exactly do you come from?" Yuki asked. "In the year of 3017 during the 31st century." Rena answered.

"Yuki anime fell. "Yuki? Yuki?! Are you alright?!" Rena asked the Rat of the Juunishi. "BUT THAT'S LIKE, OVER 10 CENTURIES FROM NOW! 1,010 YEARS, TO BE PERCISE!" Yuki yelled in bewilderment.

"Yep." Rena responded. "Wouldn't that make us really old and wrinkly from where you come from?" Tohru asked.

_"More like dead."_ Kyo and Yuki thought. "No, you are 16 years old in the future, Kyo and Yuki are 17, and Kagura's 18." Rena informed. "Oh, and I'm 16 too!"

"Just how is that possible?" Shigure inquired. "It's because of the Sohma and Tsujitani family curse." Rena told the group.

"There are many side effects, positive and negative, to ours curses, but one positive think is we never actually die. It's just we grown up, and when we get to a certain age and decide we want to start over again, we pretend our deaths and are infants once again!"

"Okay, but, then how come Tohru is reborn when she dies?" Kagura asked, making Tohru turn pale and flinch.

"Well, I think it's because Tohru is the purity princess, she can do it. The high priestesses can somehow make themselves be reborn too." Shire told Kagura.

"But, there is also a side effect to this advantage." Ayame looked up, looking so serious, it was scary.

"When one of the Sohma or Tsujitani family members are killed, they stay dead. Forever. But when either one of the cores from the two curses die…The whole family dies with him. And the same thing goes for Tohru and the high priestess."

"So you mean…If Akito was to die…Then Kyo and Yuki and everyone else would die too?" Tohru asked, frightened.

She knew that sooner or later, Akito was going to die.

Ayame nodded. "Yes. If Akito dies and has no power left in his body, which shouldn't be too long from now, everyone in this family dies along with him. So that's why we must try to keep Akito healthy and well. At least until the curse is broken. Unless…" Ayame trailed off.

**(Just so you know, Ayame is wearing black robes instead of his regular color ropes, and he's looking DEAD serious and kinda frightening right now, so you can imagine just how scary he looks right now. Mysterious…)**

"Ayame, stop it! Stop talking like that and stop looking so serious! It's really scary when you do that Ame, and it makes me feel uncomfortable! Cut it out! You're really scaring me!" Rena shook Ayame's arm.

"Am I scaring you, Rena? Then I won't do it again. I promise." Ayame returned to his good ole stupidly happy self.

_"I've never seen Ayame look so serious before." _Yuki thought. _"His stare was so intense. And his words were so harsh sounding. When Ayame gets like that…It truly is frightening. Maybe he really is related to me."_

"AH HA HA _HA_! What are you thinking about, my dearest brother Yuki? Are you thinking about how you want to grow up to be just like your older brother?" Ayame laughed loudly, Rena joining him.

"This can't be for real." Kyo groaned. _"So much for that thought!"_ Yuki thought, his vein popping out of his head.

_"But it seems to me that the only reason why he stopped is because Rena asked him to. So other than Hatori…Rena is the only other person Ayame will listen to? Because he was scaring Rena?"_

_"I guess that's why he's always so stupid and happy. Even in the future. For Rena's sake, I suppose."_

"So Rena…Do you have any real family members?" Tohru asked. Rena's smile faded. "I…I used to have a Mom, Dad, little sister, and older brother, but…They were all killed. The whole clan and family were killed."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. "I'm…I'm sorry." Tohru apologized. "It must be painful to be reminded of the pain."

"So if your whole family and clan were killed and you're still alive, does that mean --?" Yuki was cut off by Rena nodding.

"Yes. I am the core of the Tsujitani family. Like Akito, I am the head of my family. But unlike Akito, I do not imprison, confine, or hurt my family. I am not God."

"What's worst is…I was right there when they were killed. Right there. But I was just a little kid. I was so weak and helpless, I didn't know what to do. I was too scared and because of me, they're all dead." Rena whispered.

"I wish…I wish that it _had_ been me instead. I wish I _hadn't_ lived. But either way…whether it was me or them who died…They'd still end up dead, wouldn't they?"

"You know…My mom died too, if it helps any. She was in a car accident last year." Tohru told Rena.

"I know. Lady Kyoko was the greatest…But even in the future, Kyoko died. And Kyo's mother was…murdered too." Rena responded.

"How did your family die? Who killed them?" Kyo asked. "7 years on my 9th birthday, my family and the rest of the clan had been slaughtered mercilessly. They died a brutal death." Rena began.

"But for some reason…They wouldn't touch me. They spared me and brought me back to their Shishou. And that's how I learned even more about the two curses. Who they intercept and are similar, yet at the same time, two separate and completely different things."

"And 7 years later…After the massacre…You guys were killed too. Back then, I was either too weak or too late to stop it. So many people had been killed, yet I could do nothing. But I won't let anyone else die. Not before I'm killed first." Rena finished.

"But enough about that, let's move on! "Let's start from the very beginning. Okay?" Rena looked at Hatori, knowing he was the best at explaining boring thingys.

Hatori nodded. "Whatever pleases you, Rena-hime. In the 31st century, the continents in the planet Earth will come together, forming one supercontinent." Hatori began.

"On the super continent, in the center of it, facing in each cardinal direction and the very center of the continent, there is the magical kingdom created by the Honda, Tsujitani, and Sohma Families."

"Not only that, but the Tsujitani, the Honda, and the Sohma families were the only people who possessed the power to sustain Earth, because of its new form and sudden awakened magic forces."

"To spread the power out equally and sustain Earth, the families had to divide the powers in the North, South, East, and West, a palace for each ruler built in that direction so that they wouldn't be too far away from the family and other rulers."

"So, the chosen ones, the 6 people wielding such power, were put in the palace in their ruled direction with their 2 members of their family of less living with them."

"Fortunately, the chosen ones were found and selected easily. Unfortunately…They were all little kids."

"You let some spoiled rotten rugrats rule the Earth?!" Kyo said in bewilderment. "Those 'spoiled rotten rugrats' were us, you stupid cat." Yuki muttered/

"It was the only way. After all, they had the powers of the elements required, so it was their destiny to rule the Earth. However, until they became older, they had someone else assist them in ruler. Someone else from their Family." Hatori continued to explain.

"But, all decisions had to be approved by them first, of course. How troublesome that was…Anyway, that's what had to be done to sustain Earth's magical balance."

"In the West, there was Princess Tohru, Lady Kyoko, and Lord Katsuya. In the North, there was Prince Kyo and Lord Kazuma."

"In the East, there was Prince Yuki and Ayame and me as the Lords. And in the South, there was Princess Kagura and her mother as the Lady."

"But what about Rena? What was she the ruler of?" Tohru asked. Well, ruling the head of the Lands was the job of the heads of the Tsujitani and Sohma family." Hatori told Tohru.

"So you mean…" Tohru trailed off. "Yes. Ruling the Heart of the Land were the 2 Supreme Rulers, Rena Tsujitani and Akito Sohma." Hatori informed.

"Rena is the Supreme Princess and Akito is the Supreme Prince. Both ruled the heart, because Rena's father was suffering from severe wounds, and Akito's mother Ren was even sicklier than Akito was, so she couldn't rule. Not as long as I was always checking on her and Akito more than anyone else in the families."

"So even in the Future you're a Doctor?" Kagura inquired. Hatori nodded. "Because both Rena and Akito ruler the heart, no major decision could be made without Rena or Akito's approval, hardly ever both, because we knew they'd NEVER get along."

"The problem with this ruling thing was...Akito and Rena DESPISED one another." "Why?" Tohru asked.

"It has something to do with the origin of the Sohma and Tsujitani curse. Because of what happened between the two families over 2,000 years ago, the heads of the Tsujitani and the Sohma family were bound to hate one another.

"It's because it's in there soul, spirit, and heart to hate one another. They were born that way, to hold anger and hatred for one another. It's because they were reincarnated by the first heads of the two families, Inami Tsujitani and Itachi Sohma, whom cursed one another."

"Why did Inami and Itachi curse one another? Did they hate each other?" Yuki asked. "They…They didn't always hate each other, you know. Inami tells me about it all the time." Rena spoke up.

"I…I can hear her. Because she's one of the many spirits inside of my body. She's my carnation. At one point of time…Inami and Itachi loved each other. Very, very much."

"What happened?" Tohru asked. "I…Inami doesn't want me to say just quite yet, but it was because Inami fought to save the cat and the other Juunishi that her and Itachi's love for one another was turned into hatred." Ren replied.

"Because Akito and I were reincarnated after them, we have the full blown curse, making us the cores."

"Rena…What's the Tsujitani Curse?" Tohru inquired. "I wish I could tell you, Tohru, but if I told you now, it wouldn't make any sense." Rena responded.

"But I'll tell you this…The Tsujitani Curse is MUCH longer and MUCH more complex than the Sohma Family Curse is. Now, Continue Hatori!"

"Yes Small Lady. Anyway, to put it bluntly, Rena and Akito, who were sworn enemies, had to work together to keep Earth in existence." Hatori continued.

("I wonder how long that lasted." Kyo muttered under his breath)

"Now, the each of you have a special power, an elemental power, and a certain guardian living inside of your souls."

"The powers you each have are very unique. For instant, Rena can fly and use magic spells and powers."

"Tohru can use her element to heal physical wounds. Kyo can use teleportation. Yuki can use telekinetic and telepathy."

"Kagura has the strength of 1,000 men: Incredible strength. And Akito is psychic." "Yes! I'm strong! WOO-HOO!" Kagura cheered.

"If you really wanted to know, _**I **_could've told you that." Kyo mumbled. "Now, for your elemental powers," Hatori carried on.

"Tohru has the power of Water and her Guardian is the Guardian of Water, Ame Ao. Yuki has the power of Wind and his Guardian is the Guardian of Wind, Kaze Tenshi."

"Kagura has the power of Earth and her Guardian is the Guardian of Earth, Chiara Muteki."

"Kyo has the power of Fire and his Guardian is the Guardian of Fire, Faia Akai. Rena and Akito, however, are different."

"Both Rena and Akito posses the elements Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, but they also have their own special element."

"Rena also has the power of Light, and her Guardian is the Guardian of Light, Hikari Shiroi, and the opposite of her is Akito, who has the power of Darkness, and his Guardian is the Guardian of Darkness, Kuro Tsubasa."

"So, how do we summon these, 'Guardians' of ours?" Kyo asked. "You must first unlock you elemental powers." Rena answered.

"And how do we do that?"

"I'll tell you. Sooner or later."

"Yes, yes, but what is even more interesting is, there is a reason why you each have the power that you do. A reason so essential, it makes you, you."

**Me: I think that was a nice little place to stop, don't you SWD?**

**SWD: Yeah. Otherwise you would've keep going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going – **

**Kyo: Okay, we get it.**

**SWD: …And going.**

**Tohru: Read and review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: Welcome back to my cute little Fruba story!**

**Kyo: Who you callin' cute?**

**Anna: Not you.**

**SWD: Ooohhh!**** But seriously, Kyo is **_**SOOOOO**_** hot! ( She's a Kyo-lover. I like both Kyo **_**AND**_** Yuki! They both seem perfect for Tohru to be, but I think she belongs more to Kyo. But her being with Yuki is pretty cute too!)**

**Me: ….Yuki?**

**Yuki: What?**

**Me: Where's Tohru? And Rena?**

**Yuki: I don't know, they're probably doing…you know…girl stuff.**

**SWD: (places hands on her hips) And just what's that suppose to mean?**

**Yuki: You know, painting their nails, doing their hair, chatting over the phone, something girls do.**

**SWD: And are you saying that's all girls can do?**

**Kyo: …What's here problem?**

**Anna: She's offended because she's a tomboy.**

**Yuki: Well, I didn't say tomboy, now did I?**

**SWD: But you said girl, and that's what I am!**

**Yuki: Make up your mind! Are you a girl or a tomboy?!**

**SWD: (growls) Both.**

**Me: …I own nothing but Rena**

Chapter Seven

"Okay Mr. Smart Ass, tell us what's the reason already." Kyo sighed. "Water is graceful and gentle and having the power to heal. Just like Tohru." Hatori began after glaring his death glare at Kyo.

"Wind is mysterious and changes its drift whenever it desires. Just like Yuki. Earth is firm and stable and not easily moved, making it _very_ persistent. Just like Kagura."

("Oh, you don't know _how _right you are about _that_!" Kyo muttered.)

"And Fire is uncontrollable and can cause the ones around it to be hurt. Just like Kyo and his ill temper." Hatori looked at Kyo with a smart look in his eyes.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Kyo fumed. "That is a perfect example Kyo." Hatori replied. "Darkness hides the light, good, and truth as well as anyone unfortunate enough to be caught up within it. Just like Akito."

"And the Light always prevails and shines, whether dull or bright, through the intense darkness, no matter how dark or painful it is, and guides its way through and out of it. And maybe even leads those who had been lost within their own darkness. Just like our little Rena."

"I'm not that special. Anyone could do what I do." Rena insisted, blushing slightly. _"No Rena, you're wrong." _Tohru thought with a gentle smile

_"I believe what you do is amazing. Really, truly amazing. You witnessed you whole family be slain__, lived a hard and maybe even at some points of time neglected life, saw your friends be killed, was sent into a new world that you had absolutely no knowledge of all by yourself with no place to go, and, you'__re trying to protect everyone around you."_

_"Even when you yourself was neither sheltered nor protected. And through all of that…You still smile. Not even I could've done that."_

"So, from what I'm hearing, since these powers of ours reflect on our personality, even Rena and Akito's personalities, elements, and guardians reject one another? Even before Inami and Itachi? Since she's the light and he's the dark?" Yuki asked Hatori.

"Yes. And that's the point I'm trying to make. You powers reflect on your personalities." Hatori responded.

"And, each of your guardian's names have a meaning. For instants, Ame Ao means Blue Rain and Faia Akai means Red Fire."

"Kaze Tenshi means Wind Angel, or Angel of the Wind. Chikara Muteki means Invincible Strength."

"Kuro Tsubasa means Dark Wings, or Wings of Darkness. And Hikari Shiroi mean White Light."

"So you're pretty much saying our guardian's name has something to do with the element they protect? And the power they have is reflected into our personality, giving us the ability to use it?" Kyo asked.

"Bingo." Hatori looked up at Kyo. "Is there a way to activate our guardians, since Rena won't tell us?" Kyo inquired.

"Well, your guardians will only come out if there is a crisis and you or someone you love is on the verge of death. But if you master you elements, you should be able to summon them at any time." Hatori told Kyo.

"Okay, so how do we activate our powers?! I can't wait to see mine! Can you teach me how?!" Kyo asked eagerly.

"Nope." Hatori said bluntly. Kyo anime fell. "AND JUST WHY THE HELL NOT?!?!" Kyo began to yell angrily.

"Only Rena can do that." Hatori explained. "Yep. And until you get your memories, I can't teach you." Rena told Kyo.

"How do we get our memories?" Kyo asked. "You have to have complete and total faith in me." Rena informed. "Bull shit." Kyo snorted. "Oh, and did I mention if you don't within the next 3 months, an Akuryou will kill you?" Rena added.

"An Akur – _WHAT_?! How?! And…What the hell _IS_ an Akuryou?!" "We'll get to that later bucko, but it's my turn to tell the story!" Ayame exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh great." Yuki rolled his eyes. "Back to the whole little kids dominating the world thingy." Ayame began to story.

"There was an order to which you guys ruled. Our dearest sweet Rena was first in command, Nasty old Akito was second in command, my dear brother Yuki was third in command, the lovely rose Tohru was fourth in command, the beautiful boar Kagura was fifth in command, and the ill-tempered kitty-cat Kyo was last in command."

'Why the hell was I last in command?! AND DON'T CALL AN ILL-TEMPERED KITTY-CAT!" Kyo yelled at Ayame.

"Why? It's the truth! And besides, you were the stupidest, therefore you would've been leading us into the World's Demise!" Ayame said happily, causing Kyo to glare at him.

"Look at it this way Kyo, o the battlefield, you were first in command while Yuki was second." Rena told Kyo. "YES! I beat Yuki in something!" Kyo cheered. "In over 1,000 years into the future." Yuki rained on Kyo's parade.

"But what did the three of us do?" Kagura asked. "We never could battle outside of the Western Palace." Rena started.

"We always had to protect Princess Tohru. _ESPECIALLY_ when Yuki and Kyo, our finest Guardian Prince Warriors, were off fighting in a heroic and victorious battle against the Akuryous to protect The Purity Princess and the Western Palace."

"You and I were Guardian Princess Warriors. Our duty was to protect the Purity Princess, Tohru, at any and all cost. Even if it meant our own downfall." Rena finished.

"All this trouble? Over me? It's…It's too much!" Tohru exclaimed. "What do you mean Tohru? You're the Legendary Purity Princess! If you were to be killed, then Earth would either die and cease to existence or be ruled by the hands of evil!"

"You are the Heart of Earth, Tohru. Our existence depends on yours. So we had to treat you even _better_ than a princess. Kyo, Yuki, Kagura, and I _ALWAYS_ protected you."

"Akito on the other hand? Well, he didn't give a damn about you. But forget him, we all sure did! We loved you to piece, Tohru. And it was so hard on me to watch you die in my arms…So before you all let me enter you minds and show you parts of our childhood, does anyone have any questions?"

"Yeah. My question is…Who the hell said we were gonna let you?!" Kyo demanded. "If you don't, I'll see to it personally that an army of level 12 Akuryous come after you and you alone." Rena said darkly.

Kyo shrunk while Rena towered him. "Who was the best? Which element was the strongest?" Yuki asked.

"Before I tell you Yuki, answer me this…Out of all 6 of the elements, which one do _YOU_ think is the strongest?" Ayame inquired

**Me: Yes, yes, I know, I know, It's kinda short, but I felt like stopping here, so sue me why don't ya?**

**SWD: Okay!**

**Me: No, not for real SWD!**

**SWD: Too late! I'll see you in court tomorrow afternoon!**

**Me: Crap. Yun-yun, end the chapter.**

**Yuki: Don't call me that.**

**Me: This is MY story so I'LL call YOU whatever I FEEL like calling YOU, UNDERSTAND?!**

**Yuki: …O.o…**

**Me: Great!**

**Yuki: …T.T…**

**Me: Yun-yun?**

**Yuki: …X.X…**

**SWD: …This is "entertaining" But uh, please…GET ON WITH IT!**

**Yuki: …Read and review please.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: Hello my wonderful peoples! Is everyone ready for t****he eighth chapter?**

**Rena/Kagura: YES!**

**Kyo: No.**

**Yuki: Shut up, you stupid cat.**

**Kyo: Make me, ya damn rat**

**Ayame: My, my. What a foul mouth you have there, Kyonkichi.**

**Kyo: Shut up you stupid snake!**

**Rena: Hey! Don't tell Ame to shut up!**

**Kyo: And just why the hell shouldn't I?**

**Rena: Because he's cool!**

**Kyo: Is not.**

**Yuki: (sigh) We're wasting time.**

**Ayame: Agreed, my dearest brother. (Hugs Yuki) We should hurry and bond together.**

**Yuki: (vein pops out of head and begins to throb in anger) Hatori, start the chapter before I kill my so called "brother"**

**Ayame: AH HA HA AH! That's the spirit, Yuki!**

**Yuki: GO TO HELL! (begins to beat Ayame up)**

**Me: Tsk, tsk, tsk. I guess we were too late, huh Hari?**

**Hatori: I suppose I should've called Ayame off sooner. Oh well**

**Rena: Hey, Tori-nii, why don't you start the chapter?**

**Hatori: If that is your wish, princess. ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena and a few other things.**

Chapter Eight

"Well Yuki? What do you think?" Ayame asked. "Wind, most definitely." Yuki replied. "I bet my money on Fire!" Kyo exclaimed.

"You know…Air fuels Fire, and Wind is basically the same thing as Air." Shigure told the boys.

"Are you implying that that damn rat Yuki 'fuels' me?" Kyo inquired. "Most definitely. That's exactly what he's saying, you stupid cat." Yuki retorted.

"Ha! There's no way in hell! I don't need that damn rat!" Kyo sneered. "Well, he sure does fuel that anger of yours up." Rena sweat dropped.

"No, Earth is the strongest!" Kagura yelled. Shire anime fell. "You're all choosing your own powers! You're getting us nowhere!" Shire exclaimed.

"Nope. You're all wrong." Ayame replied. "WHAT???" Kagura, Yuki and Kyo chorused in bewilderment. "HOW???"

"Because Princess Tohru possesses the strongest element! Water!" Ayame exclaimed cheerfully.

"Water?! How is Water stronger than us?" Kyo asked, half angry and half disappointed that he wasn't the strongest.

And that…_Tohru_ was.

"Simple. Water puts out Fire, can go against Wind, washes away Earth, and reflects Darkness and Light." Hatori answered simply.

"Princess Tohru was indeed the strongest. Not in power, strength, or skill, but in purity. But you know…she needed you guys too. To make her weakness stronger."

"You all needed one other to make you each stronger in areas that you were weak in."

"Yeah, and without us, there would've never been any harmony within the 6 elements and the Earth's magical balance would be broken." Rena told the group.

"Wait, I've got a question though." Kagura interrupted. "Didn't Akito get tired of having to listen to you, a little girl that was 3 whole years younger than he was? Didn't he get tired of you being his superior in ranking?"

"…Yes. Yes, he did. And he…uh…he sorta did and said something that convinced me to switch positions with him." Rena answered.

"What'd he say to you Rena? What'd he do?" Kagura asked with concern.

Rena hesitated.

"Are you okay, Rena?" Tohru asked.

"Did he…Did Akito do or say something to harm you? Did he hurt you?" Yuki asked, having his own frightening experiences with Akito.

"Cause if he did, we'll beat the hell out of him! Even if he hasn't done it yet! The only one around here that can kick your scrawny little ass is _me_!" Kyo grinned.

_"It's written all over her face." _Yuki thought. _"Akito has done something horrible to her. And she still hasn't recovered. But she won't tell us, because she's afraid. She's afraid of what Akito might do to her.__ And to us.__" _

"Thank you. All of you. Your concern for me makes me happy that I was ever born. But don't worry about it. And don't try to beat the hell out of Akito either." Rena smirked at Kyo before her smile vanished and she looked down at the floor.

"I understand that the curse will not allow you to disobey Akito because he is God. And because of the very same curse…I am unable to neither escape nor disobey him either."

"Please, don't do anything that will anger Akito, for your own safety and sakes. There's nothing anyone can do to stop him. That's just the way it goes. That's the way it always has and always will be." Rena whispered.

"No one can save me from Akito. No one. I am bound to him through the curse, just like all of you. Only my chains bound to him are tighter and harder to break than all 13 of your combined."

"I did not expect Rena to tell any of you what has been happening between her and Akito." Ayame murmured, getting serious again.

"Princess Rena won't tell anyone what's been happening. Not even us. The only people that ever knew were Isuzu, Hatsuharu, and Yuki."

"Not not like I trust them more than I trust you guys." Rena interrupted. "Heck, I don't really know who Isuzu is. Hatsu found out. And Yuki…He read me like an open book."

"At least when Yuki figured it out, I learned that we have something else in common." Rena looked Yuki straight in his eyes.

"We both have a fear Akito. No matter how unwilling we are to admit it, no matter how much we hate that fact, it's the truth.

-Silence-

"…Man, is it me, or is the tension in here rising?" Shigure broke the awkward silence.

"The tension's rising. Rena tends to get _a little_ bit…strange when Akito's mentioned. Akito has messed her up, mentally and physically. In fact, at one point of time, so was so afraid of him that her whole body was sent into a trauma just by saying his name!" Shire informed.

Rena reacted by shooting an anger death glare at Shire and her veins popping out of her head and throbbing as she yelled at him, "That was none of their business, Shii-chan!"

"Oh, quit being a baby. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure that if they've been through what you've been through, they'd react the very same way." Shire responded.

Rena's long black bangs covered her eyes, "Let's just stop talking about Akito, okay? I'm not too thrilled by him, if you know what I mean." Rena murmured.

_"But he's thrilled with me. Me and the way I react when I see him. The way I'm always terrified when he comes around."_ Rena thought.

"Okay, so about those memories." Kyo changed the subject. "I thought you didn't want her to enter you mind." Yuki muttered.

"Yes, I don't, but if she thinks about Akito while she's showing us her memories, she'll accidentally show us everything that happened between her and Akito." Kyo explained.

"It's almost like forcing her to play a flashback of her moments with Akito in our heads."

"…That's…That's actually a good plan…" Yuki trailed off. "You think so? I was Kagura's idea." Kyo told Yuki.

Yuki anime fell. "I should've known it was too smart for you to have figured out." Yuki sighed.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot! We still have a few things to explain before I can show you guys anything! Right, Ame, Shii-chan, Tori-nii?" Rena exclaimed.

"Aw man!" Kagura complained. "Now, let's talk about Akuryous." Ayame grabbed the modern day group's attention.

"Akuryou means evil spirit in Japanese, indicating that these monsters are pure evil. Akuryous are black goo creatures that have the form of a human-shaped pile of goo."

"They kinda look like a little kid trying to make a person out of black, sticky, gooey, and moist goo. Only they're a WHOLE lot bigger than some clay figure."

"And, they can take on the form of ANY living being it sees. Really, it's more affective and lasts long er if they touch that being, though."

"Listen to me though, if ANY of you, other than Rena, run into an Akuryou while you still don't have your powers, run for you lives. And don't look it directly in its 'eyes'. Or at least we their eyes are suppose to be, but instead, there are dark, empty eye sockets."

"Because if you do," Ayame looked at the 5 teenagers, excluding Rena, hard in their eyes. "You'll be killed."

"Do…Do Akuryous have a purpose, here on Earth?" Tohru asked the Snake of the Juunishi.

"Of course they do." Shire spoke up again. "Akuryous live for one thing and one thing alone nowadays. And that thing is…To destroy the Purity Princess." Shire stopped, seeing the freaked out expression on Tohru's face.

"But-but-but-but why me?" Tohru inquired, wondering why she was Number One on the Akuryous' Most Wanted: Top Ten list.

"It's because long ago from our time and a long way into the future from this time, it was discovered that anyone who was able to slay the Purity Princess and devour her heart would become invincible and given limitless power." Shire answered.

"Ewww." Kagura wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That's nasty." "I know. But Akuryous don't want Tohru's heart, they only serve someone higher up, their senpai, I suppose." Shire responded.

"So you mean these Akuryous only do what they do because someone else orders them to? Perhaps the person who created them?" Yuki inquired.

Shire nodded. "there are 12 different types of Akuryous, level 1 being the weakest and level 12 being the strongest."

"Without your powers, I'm sure that you can hand level 1 and 2 Akuryous, but it would be just about impossible for you to escape the wrath of level 3 and higher Akuryous, so you need to be careful about which Akuryous you come across if you ever do come across some."

"And when certain levels of Akuryou combine and become strong enough, the become a Super Akuryou called Omega Grande that are about…Oh…At _minimum_…10,000 feet tall and just a bit over 1,000 feet wide."

"_10,000_ FEET TALL AND _1,000_ FEET WIDE?!?! AT _MINIMUM_?!?!" Kyo nearly screamed.

"Yup. So Tohru, _NEVER _go _ANYWHERE_ without someone in this room with you, understand? Akuryous are ruthless and remorseless creature. They have no sympathy or mercy. They _WILL_ kill you if they see you, and trust me, they have pretty sharp eyes."

"Oh, and a word of advice to you…If Rena-hime tells you there's an Akuryou coming…Take her advice please. She can sense an Akuryou from a mile away!"

"Trust me…I got my butt kicked **_BAD_** the last time she tried to warn me an Akuryou was coming and I didn't listen…And the Akuryou broke my house…" Shire whimpered, remembering how just last year, his house had been destroyed by an Akuryou

**Beginning of Flashback**

"Shii-chan, I'm tellin' you, there's an Akuryou comin' and it'll be here within the next 2 minutes." Rena tried to convince Shire that an Akuryou was coming.

"Nonsense Rena. This is a very peaceful area and Akuryous would never strike an area where so little people live." Shire insisted.

"And besides, the weather forecaster man never said anything about raining Akuryous."

"Fine. Suit yourself. Don't listen to me. You'll be sorry that you didn't listen to me when that Akuryou tackles you to the ground and beats you senseless. And I'm not gonna help you." Rena sat down and began to read the newspaper.

"Alright Rena. But I'm telling you, there's absolutely no chance of an Akuryou attacking this house. Not after I just finished Spring Cleaning!" Shire stopped sweeping the front porch with a goofy grin on his face.

About 3 seconds later, an Akuryou zipped right past Rena, who was sitting on a stool reading the newspaper and ignoring the presence of the Akuryou, and attacked Shire, jumping on him and tackling him to the ground, rolling into the just cleaned house.

"AH! RENA! HELP ME!" Shire screamed as he being assaulted by the Akuryou.

"Make sure you clean up your mess when you and your little friend finish playing, Shii-chan." Rena called back without looking up from her newspaper.

**Ten Minutes Later (After Shire was beat up by the Akuryou and****now is ****twitching violently in his now broken house**** as we speak**

Rena finally put down the paper, walked inside of Shire's now broken house, and by doing that was only greeted by a beaten to a pump, jacked up, and twitching violently in pain Shire.

Rena looked down at Shire. "Shii-chan…Should I…Should I get you some ice? And the house too?" Rena asked.

"Forget me, ice won't fix my precious house!" A river of tears ran down Shire's face.

"My poor…poor house…I'll never finish cleaning it!"

"I could help you if you want." Rena told Shire. "And if it makes you feel any better…I killed the Akuryou that destroyed your house."

"Why didn't you do that earlier to save my house?!" Shire cried. "You could've saved my poor house from meeting this cruel fate!"

_"_I don't believe you! You're so ungrateful Shii-chan!" Rena huffed. "Next time, I let the Akuryou _EAT_ your house! WITH YOU _INSIDE!!!!"_

**End of Flashback**

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Kyo began to laugh at Shire. "Don't laugh. My poor house didn't survive. I had to…_REBUILT _it!" Shire cried.

"That's something you should've done a _LONG_ time ago." Rena muttered. "And that's all you need to know until further notice!" Ayame exclaimed.

"Do you…Do you believe us?" Rena asked. "…What other choice do we have?" Kyo muttered.

"I believed it from the moment I saw Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori emerge from that tiny little communicator. Even though I didn't want to." Yuki told Rena.

"Hey, I heard the words 'Guardian Princess Warrior' and 'you have super powers' so heck yeah, I believe!" Kagura winked, eager to unlock her power.

"Well, seeing such a handsome man that claims to be me from the future, what else can I do? I'm just too dazzling to not believe." Shigure replied.

"That's what you think." Yuki and Kyo retorted, muttering under their breaths about the Dog of the Juunishi.

"After learning about the Sohma Family Curse and seeing Kyo's true form, I think I can believe just about anything." Tohru smiled.

"Great!" Rena cried happily. "But let's get one thing straight – just because I believe you doesn't mean I trust you." Kyo crossed his arms.

"Don't worry about it. You'll come around to it. You always do." Rena responded.

"Rena, how have you survived these last 4 months in this world all by yourself with no home?" Tohru asked.

"Well, I usually stay in the woods around here and I lived among the trees." Rena explained, "Silly, huh? I, a pampered princess, living in trees like a monkey. It's kinda pathetic, now that I think about it…Anyway, I got a part time job at the Diner, so I use my money on food."

"This world has many strange foods and objects. Like the Washer of Dishing. And the Oven of Baking. And the Waving of Micro. Not to mention to Fridge of Foods."

"…You mean the dishwasher, oven, microwave, and refrigerator?" Tohru inquired.

"Uhhhh….Sure!" Rena exclaimed. "Let's go with that!" _"It's hard to believe this is the SAME girl that ruled the Earth."_ Hatori thought, sweat dropping.

"We have things like that in our Era, only…They're a bit more…Advance. And Magical. But Rena-hime wouldn't really know. Since she's never used things like that before." Shire told the group.

"But I'm getting better at it! I only blew up the kitchen five times!" Rena exclaimed.

-Silence-

"…And I'm my boss's favorite worker!" "Wait a second…Rena plus part time job at The Diner equals…FREE FOOD!!!" Kyo exclaimed.

"…No." Rena crossed her arms. "No?! Why not?!" Kyo whined. "You're not coming to my job and that's final!" Rena stood up.

"Now if you would excuse me, I need to get ready. I have work in 15 minutes." Rena left the house.

"…She really doesn't want us to come…" Tohru whispered. "Probably because Kyo would laugh at her." Hatori murmured.

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy?" Kyo threw his hands up. "Yes." Hatori and Yuki both growled without even looking at the Cat of the Juunishi.

"I say we go anyway. I mean, the Diner's open to everyone in the public, and Rena can't stop us from going." Kagura pointed out.

"…True, you do have a point there." Shigure agreed with Kagura. "Well, see ya." Ayame left.

"Where are you going, Aya?" Shigure asked. "Where do you think? I'm going to meet Rena at the Diner! She won't mind if _I'm_ there." Ayame called back.

"Yeah, well I'm comin'!" Kyo got up. "I ain't wasting an opportunity to eat as much as I want!"

"So it's settled. We're going." Yuki stood up as well. "Shire, Shigure, you'd better try to look a bit…different."

"Even though they're identical." Kyo muttered. "We'll just say we're cousins!" Shigure exclaimed.

"_Cousins_?" Kyo raised an eyebrow._ "**Identical **_cousins!" Shire and Shigure exclaimed.

Kyo slapped his face. "Great." Kyo rolled his eyes and followed Hatori, Ayame, and Yuki out the door.

"Wait for us!" Shire and Shigure ran out the house. "I'm coming too!" Kagura followed.

"Um, guys…does anyone think this is a bad idea? Guys?" Tohru ran after her friends, leaving the front door wide open**(She might as well said, "Welcome all Burglars! Come right on in and take anything you want while we're gone!")**

**Me: I think that was a nice and long chappie.**

**SWD: Which means you can have a _SHORT _A/N note.**

**Me: (sighs) Oh alright. Ayame?**

**Ayame: Read and review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Me: 'Ello Fruba peoples!**

**Kyo: Goodbye EGP!**

**Me: NO. I WANNA KEEP WRITING!**

**Kyo: NO. YOU. DON'T.**

**Rena: I'm going to give you a ****little surprise in this chapter**

**Kyo: …I don't like the sound of that…**

**Rena: You won't.**

**Tohru: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena and a few other characters.**

Chapter Nine

"Does anyone see her?" Kagura asked as they walked into 'The Diner'. "No, but this little restaurant looks cool!" Kyo exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's the new one. They just finished building it last month." Kagura told Kyo.

"Let's just sit down and wait, okay? I don't want to get Rena in any trouble." Tohru said quietly.

"Sure Miss Honda. Anything you want." Yuki told Tohru's hand and sat down at the table with the others.

Kyo would've started yelling angrily at Yuki for taking Tohru away like that, but he was too busy try to get Kagura off him, so all he could do was shoot the Rat of the Juunishi dirty looks while he shouted at Kagura to let him go.

"I really wonder where Rena is…" Ayame trailed off. "Yeah, I'm getting hungry." Kyo rubbed his grumbling stomach after _FINALLY _getting Kagura to sit still and keep her hands to herself **(Let's see how long that last!)**

"Hello, my name is Rena and this is The Diner! Welcome! May I please take your order?" The waitress asked.

"Is that…Rena?!?!" Hatori gasped. "No way." Kyo whispered. "That girl looks…pretty. It _CAN'T_ be _RENA!_"

"Kyo? Hatori?" Rena gasped. "What are you doing here?! Didn't I tell you not to come?!"

"But why. Dearest Rena? You look absolutely astonishing in that outfit." Ayame insisted. "Even Kyo agreed."

("When did I say that?!" Kyo demanded)

Rena was wearing a while long sleeve shirt with a red vest over it that was buttoned up by black buttons and had a nametag on it on the front and the back of it was black, a _really_ short miniskirt **(keep your eyes up you perverts!)**, thin black stockings, and she had on black high heels. And her long waxy black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and pinned up.

"I hate this stupid outfit! I don't get why our boss forces the girls to wear such an outfit!" Rena began to complain.

"I feel like I'm naked! And the skirt's way too short! I hate the way those stupid guys have been eying me and making perverted comments! It makes me nervous and embarrassed, and when I'm nervous and embarrassed, I blush! Horrible! And they chuckle! _CHUCKLE_!"

"I think that's half of the attraction." Yuki told Rena. "Usually, when there's pretty girls, they're bound to be lots and lots of guys checking them out. And since that theory has been tested and proved…You boss probably makes you girls wear a uniform like that so that they'll have more customers which equals more money. All at the 'small cost' of the female works being sexually harassed verbally. That, or it's just for his own disgusting amusement."

"Really? Is that the reason why this place is full and there's mostly guys here?" Tohru asked. "I didn't know that…"

"Trust me Rena, if you were naked, I would've noticed." Shigure smirked. "You lecherous creep." Yuki muttered.

"Come on Rena, say it again! Say it!" Kyo urged Rena to say her line again. Rena groaned.

"Hello, my name is Rena and this is The Diner. Welcome. May I please take your order?" Rena sighed miserably.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!! That was _SO _priceless! I should've brought a video camera!" Kyo laughed and pointed fingers at Rena.

"And _THIS_ is why Rena didn't want us to come." Hatori murmured. "Look, can I just take your order?" Rena groaned, pulling out a notepad and pencil.

"Root Beer Float please." Kyo asked.

"They went all out of stock yesterday." Rena replied.

"Okay…steak?" Kyo asked.

"Hichiru's out buying some more as we speak. All of the guys devoured that, so we don't have any more of that available right now. And even if we did, I wouldn't let you have any."

"Okay, how about…sake?" Kyo smirked, beginning to annoy Rena on purpose.

"We don't provide sake here. And besides, you're underage."

"Beer?"

"No."

"Root Beer?"

"I thought I said we were out!"

"Nuh-uh, you said you were out of Root Beer _Floats_."

"Well Kyo, Root Beer Floats are _KINDA _made out of _ROOT BEER_!"

"Okay…Leek Stew?"

"You hate Leeks."

"So? Maybe I just wanna know."

"No Kyo. We don't have that either, because most _NORMAL_ people try to _AVOID_ eating Leek Stew." Rena growled as her veins popped out of her head and throbbed violently, clutching her pencil so tightly, it snapped in half.

"Okay…How about…Caviar?" Kyo grinned, knowing that he was annoying Rena.

"LOOK KYO, YOU _KNOW_ WE DON'T HAVE _ANYTHING_ LIKE THAT! THIS ISN'T A FIVE STAR RESTAURAUNT! THIS IS A _FAST __FOOD_ RESTAURANT! SO CAN YOU _PLEASE _CHOOSE SOMETHING _NORMAL_???" Rena yelled at Kyo.

"Rena?"

Rena gasped, quickly turning around and bowing her head. "Yes, Mr. Toyohashi?"

The man, Hichiru Toyohashi, was about 21 or so and he had short silver hair and sparkling ocean blue eyes.

"Rena, are you _yelling_ at one of our customers?"

"But-but-but-but _he_ started it!" Rena pointed at Kyo angrily. "That stupid Kyo!"

"I take it you know these people." Hichiru glanced at the group of 8. "Yes, these are my friends. And the one with orange hair's Kyonkichi." Rena mumbled.

"Don't call me that, dammit!" Kyo yelled.

"And just why the hell not? It's your nickname!" Rena yelled back.

"No, it's not my nickname! It's a stupid word Ayame made up to address me!"

"It's _not_ stupid, so don't call it stupid!"

"And just why the hell shouldn't I?"

"Because Ame made it up and he's the greatest!"

"In your _imagination_!"

"Well at least I _have_ an imagination, which proves I have a mind, unlike a _CERTAIN _person here!"

"Are you implying that I'm a mindless idiot?!"

"Wow, for a mindless idiot, you sure do catch on to things quick!"

"Rena, as long as these people are our customers, you must speak to and treat them with care. Even to Kyonkichi." Hichiru told Rena before leaving Rena to complain and gripe.

"Okay, since Kyo's too much of an idiot to do anything right, Yuki, could you please order first?" Rena asked.

"Sure. I guess a cheeseburger and onion rings will do." Yuki replied. "Does anyone else want that?" Rena asked.

"Me!" Shire and Shigure chorused. "I'll eat it too." Tohru responded. "As long as you make it, Rena, Tori and I will eat it." Ayame told Rena.

"That about you, Kyo?" Rena inquired. "Give me fish and French fries instead of a cheeseburger and onion rings." Kyo mumbled, determined to not order the same things as Yuki.

"And I suppose you're getting whatever Kyo gets, right Kagura?" Rena asked. Kagura nodded. "Yep. Anything my dearest Kyo eats, I can eat too!"

"Just make sure you put poison in hers." Kyo muttered under his breath. "And what do you want to drink?" Rena asked.

Kagura whispered with the other for a few seconds before ordering. "Ummm…A strawberry milkshake for me, a chocolate milkshake for Tohru, a vanilla milkshake of Yuki, A coke for Ayame, Pepsi for Hatori, and Dr. Pepper for Shire and Shigure." Kagura answered.

"And let me guess Kyo…You want a nice, large glass if warm creamy milk." Rena taunted, seeing how Kyo's mouth watered. **(His cat senses are taking over, lol) **"Ha! Shut up!" Kyo snorted, wiping his mouth.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Rena laughed as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"She looks so…Happy…" Yuki trailed off, confused from Rena's sudden outburst of joy.

"Interesting girl, isn't she? Hichiru appeared out of nowhere, leaning against the seat next to Ayame.

"Why? Does she not please you?" Ayame eyed Hichiru. "Oh, of course not! Rena's wonderful! Really wonderful!" Hichiru replied.

"And even thought she blew up the kitchen a few times…She's turned out to be our best waitress! I'm amazed by how fast she can fill orders and make them just the way our customers ordered!"

_"Don't be. She's cheating by using her magical powers."_ Kyo thought, but knew better than to say it out loud.

"You must be Ayame Sohma. Rena talks a lot about you. I'm honored to you." Hichiru shook Ayame's hand.

"Yes, well, I have known her since the day of her birth. I am her godfather, after all." Ayame flipped his hair.

"Um, we're her godfathers too Ayame." Shire raised his hand. "Really? That interesting." Hichiru said to Ayame, completely ignoring Shire.

"Tell me, you look pretty young, how old are you?" Ayame inquired. "I'm 21 years old." Hichiru answered.

"I see. And are you getting along with Rena?"

"Very well, Sohma-senpai."

"Uh huh. Do you feel comfortable around her?"

"Yes, I do." Hichiru told Ayame. "You know, Rena's a very beautiful young woman. If it wasn't for the fact that she's probably already taken, I'd probably ask her out myself!"

At the statement, Ayame stood up and grabbed Hichiru by the collar of his shirt.

"Don't get too comfortable or friendly with my goddaughter, understand? And you, a total stranger to me, have no permission of me to even _THINK_ about dating her, is that clear?" Ayame growled.

"Hel-lo? Rena's _OUR_ goddaughter too! We're her godfathers too!" Shire waved, pointing at himself and Hatori.

"Whoa, fatherly much Aya?" Kagura muttered. "Mr. Toyohashi, Michiru and I – AME! Let my boss go! Now!" Rena cried, running to Hichiru's side.

**(Isn't it ironic that Hichiru has an employee named Michiru? Yes? No? Well, yeah, it's probably just a coincidence) **

Ayame glared at Hichiru a moment before releasing him roughly, causing him to fall hard onto the ground.

"Are you alright, Mr. Toyohashi?" Rena kneeled down to Hichiru, sounding worried. "Did Ame hurt you?"

"No, he didn't Rena. We were just talking and I said something I guess I shouldn't have." Hichiru smiled at Rena as she helped him up.

"Are you sure?" Rena asked.

"Yes. Don't be mad at him, it was my fault." Hichiru insisted. "And you know, you can call me Hichiru-san if you want."

"O…Okay Hichiru-san!" Rena smiled. "Michiru-chan and I really need your help on something in the kitchen!" Rena led Hichiru away into the kitchen.

"I don't like that Hichiru guy at all. Not in the least." Ayame growled. "Hey Shire, what's that?" Kyo asked.

"Hm? Oh this? This is Explosion Sauce." Shire held a bottle labeled, "Explosion Sauce."

"Cool. I really wanted some not sauce yo go with my food!" K yo took the Explosion Sauce from Shire.

"But wait! That's from the Future!" Shire warned. "Look, in the past, future, or present, hot sauce is still hot sauce!" Kyo snapped.

"You know, you should really stop him. He'll kill someone with that." Hatori told Shire.

"Shire shrugged. "I tried, but he wouldn't listen. I guess he'll just have to figure out on his own what it does."

"I'm back!" Rena returned with the food and drinks. "Cool! The food's here!" Kyo exclaimed as Rena pasted out the food and drinks, eagerly grabbing his lunch.

"Here everyone! Dig in!" Rena finished handing out food. "Ame…Can I talk to you for a second?" Rena asked Ayame.

Without even giving Ayame the chance to think about thinking, Rena grabbed Ayame's wrist and lead him outside.

"Ayame…Hichiru-san tells me you and him kinda got into argument." Rena leaned against the outside of The Diner.

"He says the two of you were arguing about me. Why?"

"We were just talking." Ayame insisted. "Talking? More like getting ready to kill Hichiru-san!" Rena exclaimed.

"Ayame, you could've gotten me fired! I _LIKE_ my job here! I LIKE Hichiru-san! He's my _friend_! You can't go around hurting my guy friends just because they think I'm pretty!"

"I just…I don't know. Something came over me. Something in me snapped and I was mad at Hichiru-san for saying things like that about you for some reason. I can't explain it really." Ayame told Rena.

"There's just something I don't like about him."

"Other than the fact he's a guy that thinks I'm pretty?" Rena placed her hands on her hips.

"…No, that's about it." Ayame replied. "Ayame, you can't go around threatening people like that! You could get arrested! This is the 21st century! Not the 31st century!" Rena cried.

"I…I was just trying to protect you. I wanted to make sure you would be safe. You father would've wanted that." Ayame responded.

"Yeah, well, you know what Ayame? You're not my father!" Rena yelled at Ayame.

Ayame's long silver bangs covered his bright yellow eyes as he leaned against the building with his foot propped up against it.

"No, I'm not, but…I still care about you, Rena. You're…You're the closest thing to a daughter I've ever had." Ayame whispered.

Rena's anger dropped immediately and left her feeling horrible about what she had accidently said.

"Ayame, I…" Rena tried to apologize, but Ayame stopped her. "I know. You want me to stop acting like your father. I'm…I'm sorry for thinking I could ever be someone like that to you and I know you can forgive me, Rena."

Ayame walked into the building. "…Damn!" Rena punched the brick building again and again, not caring that her knuckles were bruised and bleeding.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn, _DAMN_! How could I have been so stupid? I…I yelled at Ame and I didn't even give him a chance to finish explaining himself."

"He only wanted to make sure I would be safe around Hichiru-san! He was only worried about me!"

Rena sighed deeply before clenching her fist and walking back into the building. "Hey Rena," Kyo called Rena.

"What?" Rena growled slowly, her eyes glowing. Kyo slowly sank in his seat as he watched Rena head into the kitchen,

"She's…upset…" Kyo whimpered. "What happened, Ayame?" Tohru asked. "She's…she's a little bit angry with me right now." Ayame whispered.

"Why?" Kagura asked. "Because…I almost hurt one of her friends/boss just because he was a guy and thought was cute. And I could've made her lose her job." Ayame answered.

"I know I'm not her father, but… I just can't help acting so protective over her. It's…It's like an instinct now. She's…She's like a daughter to me…"

"Uh-huh, then why did you want to get 'serious' with her?" Kyo muttered. "Oh, that? It was only a joke!" Ayame laughed.

"YOU CALL THAT A JOKE?!?!" Kyo shouted. "Oh well. I got my food, so I'm eatin'!" Kyo began to pour the Explosion Sauce on his plate.

"Uhhhh," Shire raised a finger as he watched Kyo pour the sauce on his plate, trying to stop him

-----------------------------------------

_"Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! I'm so stupid!" _Rena thought, putting on an apron and beginning to wash the dishes in the sink by hand.

_"I should've known Ayame only wanted to protect me? Why else would he about kill someone?"_

_"But…I guess the real reason I got mad was because…I was scared. I was scared of what Ayame was capable of doing."_

_"I have seen Ayame brutally kill something for my sake. I have seen Ayame spill blood and that blood cover his hands and face."_

_"I…I was more afraid of Ayame than I was the person who was trying to hurt me."_

**Beginning of Flashback (8 years ago)**

"Ame-nii, look at the sunset! It's so pretty!" Rena exclaimed. "Yes. Yes it is. Just like you." Ayame smiled.

"But are you sure you can see it from all the way down there?" Ayame grinned, picking Rena up and placing her on his shoulders.

"Ah! Ame-nii! Don't drop me!" Rena squealed. "I won't drop you. I would never." Ayame assured Rena.

"But I will…TICKLE YOU!" Ayame smirked, tickling the little girl on his shoulders.

"AH HA HA HA! AME-NII! STOP IT! I CAN – AH HA HA! – BREATHE!" Rena gasped through her laughter.

"Say Ame-nii, you're the greatest."

"AME-NII, YOU'RE THE GREATEST!"

Ayame stopped tickling Rena and she fell off his shoulders laughing. "Gotcha!" Ayame caught Rena in his arms and kissed her on her check, sitting down with her in his lap.

"Ame-nii, you really are the best. The Greatest." Rena hugged Ayame around his neck as they watched the sunset.

"There's that cursed witch!"

Ayame looked up to see about 10 or 15 men surround them. "Yes, there she is! She's that cursed Tsujitani Princess Girl!"

"You there, you little witch! Surrender yourself to death! You are the one responsible for killing the young boy of our village, aren't you?"

"Yes, she is. And they say all she had to do was hug him."

"You're and evil little devil! Everything about you, mind, body, and soul, is evil!"

"Ame, what are they talking about? Are they…Are they talking about when that peasant boy accidently hugged me?" Rena asked.

"Peasant boy? I don't care if you're royalty or not, but you're a murderer! You have no right to call that sweet little boy a murderer!" A man snapped.

"It…It wasn't my fault he died. It wasn't my fault he hugged me. I…I didn't mean to hurt him. Honestly I didn't." Rena tried to apologize.

She had known the young boy that had been killed because of her. She had been friends with him. And hurting him was the last thing she meant to do.

"It wasn't your fault? Then whose fault was it?" One of the man sneered. "I…I don't know! I just…I just don't want it to be my fault!" Rena's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Please, Ame, make them stop! They're scaring me! Please! Make them stop! I don't want to hear anymore! I don't!" Rena pulled on Ayame's sleeve.

"I do not know who you people think you are," Ayame stood up, making sure Rena was behind him and out of harm's way.

"But what I do know is, I am the Great Lord Ayame! Step back and leave the girl alone of you will have to deal with me!"

"But…But Lord Ayame! How…How can you protect that…that monster?!" One of the men demanded.

"Her name's Princess Rena to you!" Ayame snapped. "And the reason I protect her is simple…I love Rena. And I won't let anyone harm her."

"Lord Ayame, if you don't back down, we'll be forced to kill you along with that little monster." One of the men reasoned.

In a quick movement, Ayame drew forth his sword and sliced right through the same man.

"How dare you call her a monster?! After I ordered you to call her Princess Rena?" Ayame growled, his yellow eyes flashing with anger.

"Katsushiro!" One of the men cried. "That's it, you're going down!" The remaining 14 men all attacked Ayame at one time.

The men were fast.

Ayame was faster.

Ayame sliced through the men, one at a time and carefully dodging their blades. And the more Ayame cut…The more blood fell on the ground, his sword, and his hands.

Rena watching in horror, crouched down in a small ball as she covered her ears as she watch Ayame slay the man that threatened to kill her.

This was a violent side to Ayame she had never seen before.

Rena was trying block out their screams of agony, but no matter how hard she squeezed her ears shut, she couldn't block their screams out.

"AYAME!" Rena screamed, running to Ayame with tears in her eyes and hugging his thighs, that being as far as she could reach.

"Rena?" Ayame lowered his sword. "Stop it! Stop it! Please, stop it! You killed all of them Ame! Why did you do that?" Rena sobbed.

"You…You have blood all over you hands and you face. There's blood all over you sword and the ground. There's blood all over the place. So please…Stop."

"Ame-nii, you…the way you looked while you were killing them…you were scaring me. You looked terrifying."

"Ame-nii, please promise me you'll never do that again! Promise me you'll never spill the blood of innocent people again just for my sake!" Rena hugged Ayame tighter.

Ayame sheathed his sword and threw it across the field. "You…You really hate to see me get this violent, don't you?" Ayame dropped to his knees and let Rena hug him and bury her face in his chest while she cried.

"I'm…I'm sorry you had to see that Rena. I should've never done something like that whole you were around." Ayame whispered.

"PROMISE! SWEAR TO ME!" Rena screamed, crying harder. "PLEASE AME-NII! GIVE ME YOUR WORD!"

Ayame smiled and stroked Rena's head. "You hate it when I get this way, do you? Then I won't do it again. I promise." Ayame hugged Rena.

_"I promise."_

**End of Flashback**

_"I was so afraid of what Ayame might become, I made his throw away his sword and never get a new one."_

_"I never wanted to have to see blood on Ayame's hands again. Not again. Anything but blood. Just not blood."_

Rena slumped to her knees. "I'm a horrible person. I should've have yelled at Ame like that." Rena whispered.

"Rena?"

Rena looked up to see Ayame crouched down in front of her. "Rena, why are you crying?"

"A…Ayame-nii?" Rena whispered. "AYAME-NII!" Rena jumped into Ayame's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Ayame-nii! I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I should've never yelled at you! You were only trying to protect me! Please forgive me! I'm so sorry!" Rena bawled, crying it all out at once.

Ayame Ayane blinked a few times before smiled gently. "Oh course I forgive you Rena. Why wouldn't I?"

"Ame?" Rena looked up at Ayame. "I…I know you're not my father, but…I…I wish you were. And…even though I want you to be my father…You can't."

"You can't, because I don't deserve to be your daughter. I want to be a person that my Dad will be proud of. Someone that will be proud to say 'That's my daughter' and smile. Someone that will be happy and not ashamed of me or how weak I really am."

Ayame hugged Rena. "Rena, I'm already proud of you. You couldn't make me any prouder than you already make me. And I'm not ashamed of you. I love you. I'm happy that you were born and I was able to meet you." Ayame whispered, wiping away Rena's tears.

Before anything more could be said, Ayame and Rena heard someone scream. "That would be Kyo." Ayame sighed.

"Oh great. What did that silly cat do this time?" Rena groaned. "Who does he think he is? Ruining our cute little moment. I swear…"

"Kyo, what's wrong?" Rena ran out to Kyo with Ayame only to see that the whole Diner was covered in and was as back as ashes, as well as the people. And, everyone's hair was sticking straight up.

"He used the explosion sauce, didn't he?" Rena asked Shire. "Yep." Shire nodded.

"Rena," Hichiru made his way over to Rena. "Do you happen to know how to fit the mess you little friend made?"

"…I'll work over time." Rena sighed. "Good. Because we _really_need it." Hichiru walked away.

"Kyo," Rena growled, walking over to the Cat of the Juunishi with her fist raises, the vein throbbing from both her head and fist.

"What? It wasn't my fault!" Kyo insisted. Rena grabbed Kyo's bracelet and began to chant a magical spell.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kyo demanded. "Crash boy." Rena ordered. The black and white beads around Kyo's wrist lit up and caused Kyo to crash painfully to the ground.

"CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!" Rena commanded.

_**CRASH x 5!**_

"You, crash, stupid, crash, cat! Crash! Because, crash, of you, crash, I have, crash, to work, crash, overtime, crash, to pay all of these, crash, damages off! CRASH! Crash, Crash, Crash, Crash, _CRASH_!

_**CRASH x 15!**_

"Owww…"K yo groaned in pain. "Crash boy." Rena crossed her arms.

_**CRASH!**_

"Thanks a lot Kyo. A _**WHOLE**_ lot! Rena stomped off. "How…Was I supposed…To know Explosion Sauce…Would Explode?..." Kyo twitched.

"CRASH!"

_**CRASH!**_

"OW!:

"Boy is she mad!" Kagura exclaimed.

**Me: Man, that chapter was THE LONGEST chapter I've ever posted!**

**Rena: Maybe it's TOO long.**

**Me: Maybe. All I know it, I'm tired, so I'm not updating again until next week, okay?**

**Rena: Sure. Why not? But I hope your reviewers are okay with it.**

**Kagura: They'd better be, cause I want some sleep!**

**Kyo: Forget sleep! Rena like totally broke me back! (Limps into room)**

**Rena: Ha-ha! I can make you crash painfully to the ground!**

_**CRASH!**_

**Kyo: OOOWWWW**

**Rena: Oooops….Sorry…**

**Kagura: …Read and review please!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: 'Ello my peoples! I'm glad to back!**

**Kyo: I'm not. You cursed me even more than my creator did. (Pouts)**

**Me: Awww…Cute Kyon-Kyon.**

**Kyo: (Glares at EGP) Do. Not. Call. Me. Kyon-Kyon! **

**Me: Fine, Kyonkichi.**

**Kyo: YOU BASTARD!!!!**

**Me: ….Anyway, most of the people that reviewed the last chapter were probably thinking. "Oh shit, Ayame's scary...But the explosion sauce was hilarious, so who cares?" and "Poor Kyo. He's like a dog on a leash controlled by its owner now. And Rena's the owner!" **

**Kyo: I still haven't forgiven you.**

**Me: Too bad. But anyway, Momitchi and Haru will arrive in a few chapters! What I'm really looking forward to is Kakeru, Kimi, Machi, and Naohito joining us, but it won't be for a LOOONG while…Oh well.**

**Kyo: (groans) Let's get this over with.**

**Rena: Okay, crash boy.**

_**CRASH!**_

**Kyo: Not that!**

** Me: I own nothing but Rena and a few other things! But mainly, Rena!**

**Rena: Yep, that's me!**

**Kyo: Shut up so we can start the chapter.**

Chapter Ten

"I still can't believe your stupidity Kyo. I had to work overtime because of you. I was _suppose_ to get out at 8 o'clock, but _noooo_, _someone_ had to play with the explosion sauce." Rena shot Kyo another glare.

"Look dammit, if you didn't want me to use the sauce, you should've not brought it." Kyo retorted as he, Rena, Yuki, Tohru, Ayame, Hatori, Shire, and Shigure walked home.

"And then on top of that, no one had any cash on them! How do you come to a restaurant and know the food isn't free and still not have ANY money?!?!" Rena exclaimed in bewilderment.

"When it came time to pay the bill, Kagura was out! She ran all the way home!" Shire exclaimed.

"I'm gonna get her next time." Kyo growled. "Not unless she hugs you to death first." Yuki muttered under his breath.

"I-I had some money, I offered you it, but you wouldn't take it." Tohru spoke up. "Oh no Tohru, I could never make you or Yuki pay for it. What kind of friend would I be if I did?" Rena took Tohru's hands while she talked to her.

"You're forgetting who had to pay the bill!" Kyo fumed. "_You_ started this mess, it's only fair that _you_ paid the bill." Rena growled.

"We're home!" Ayame cried. "_Home_?! You don't live here you stupid snake!" Kyo yelled at Ayame.

"Home sweet home!" Shigure walked into the house. "Great. Now it's 12 midnight. I wasted my whole day at that stupid diner." Rena grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Would you quit complainin'? It's aggravating!" Kyo shouted at Rena. "Crash." Rena mumbled under her breath, walking to the house.

_**CRASH!**_

"OW! DAMMIT RENA!!!"

"Oh, um, uh, Kyo-kun, are you al-alright?!" Tohru asked, worried and freaking out at the same time.

"Don't worry about him Miss Honda. That stupid cat's too arrogant to let something like that kill him. As long as he's not dying or bleeding, you shouldn't worry. That hard head of his stopped his fall anyway." Yuki led Tohru into the house.

"Ow…come back here you stupid rat! Dammit! My insides…are bleeding…I can't feel my…body…" Kyo twitched in pain.

----------

"Why is _she_ still here?" Kyo asked as the spell from his beads finally wore of and sat down in the living room, which is where he found everyone, including Rena.

"Don't worry Kyo, I won't tell you to crash unless you really deserve it." Rena assured the Cat of the Juunishi.

_**CRASH!**_

"OW DAMMIT!!!" Kyo cursed loudly. "Ooops, sorry Kyo! I didn't mean to say it that time!" Rena apologized.

"Like that's suppose to make me feel any better!" Kyo snapped. "Humph!" Rena huffed, crossing her arms and turning her back on a pained Kyo.

"Well, if you want to be rude, then fine, I'll say it. Crash boy."

_**CRASH!**_

"AH!"

"Shigure, do you have any rooms for us to sleep in tonight?" Ayame asked. "Oh, you're staying over?" Shigure asked.

"Yup! Is that okay?" Shire inquired. "Oh sure! Let's see…Hatori could sleep in the guest room, Ayame can sleep in Yuki's room, and Shire, you can sleep in Kyo's room!" Shigure told the three men.

"Or I could sleep in your room, Shigure…" Ayame smirked. "Please Ayame. Not in front of the children." Shigure smirked back.

"Cool!" Ayame and Shigure held their thumbs up. "…Uhhhh…Did I just miss something?" Rena asked, confused.

"Not, but you could always do what Kagura did and RUN HOME." Kyo suggested. "Not unless you want to wind up dead and have Akuryous and their Dark Lord rule the world!" Rena snapped.

Kyo snorted, "I don't need your help to stay alive, brat."

"Tohru-kun, can I share a room with you for while?!" Rena asked the onigiri eagerly, ignoring Kyo.

"Sure! I don't see why not! It'll be great!" Tohru smiled. "Yay! My new roommate!" Rena hugged Tohru.

"ROOMMATE?!" Kyo yelled in bewilderment, anime falling. "YOU'RE STAYING HERE?!" "Well, yeah. She has to. And we're her legal guardians, you know, so we have to stay too." Shire responded.

"Until Rena is able to train the four of you, help you awaken all of your powers, and with your help, successfully save the past, present, and the future, she has to stay around us, so I figured Tohru wouldn't mind sharing her room for awhile." Shigure told the group.

"I don't mind! I've always wanted a sister!" Tohru smiled at Rena, who smiled back as they held hands and jabbered away.

"She…She's staying…?" Kyo twitched. "Let's be real sisters Tohru! Or do you want to be half sisters?" Rena asked.

"Let's be…Half Sisters! That has a nice ring to it!" Tohru exclaimed. "YAY! Tohru-nee, I love you!" Rena hugged Tohru.

"I love you too, Rena-nee!" Tohru hugged Rena. "That's so cute." Ayame chuckled. "There's so many hearts in the pink background."

"Please don't remind me. It's…disgusting." Kyo muttered. "So Rena…Are you going to school with Tohru tomorrow?" Shigure asked.

"Naturally. Princess Rena has to maintain a sharp mind." Hatori responded. "Yeah, well, let's just say Rena ain't the brightest of crayons." Kyo mumbled.

"Hey! I am too bright! I'm so bright, I'm dull!" Rena exclaimed.

-Silence-

"…That…Makes no sense." Yuki blinked a few times. "Yeah, Because I'm cool like that. I'm so cool, I'm hot." Rena replied.

-More Silence-

"Please, stop it! Don't do it anymore! It's too stupid! I can't take it anymore!" Kyo almost begged for Rena to stop comparing and contrasting opposites.

"But…But I've been learning very hard! My teacher says those are really cool lines!" Rena insisted.

"Oh really. I wonder just who tried to teach to something cool." Yuki glared at Ayame.

"It wasn't my fault! I swear! Some geeky kid was saying it, so I assumed it was really cool!" Ayame said quickly, holding up his hands and trying to stop Yuki's glowing eyes.

"AND SINCE WHEN WERE GEEKS COOL?!" Kyo yelled at Ayame. "YOU'RE GONNA HAVE HER LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT, AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT, BECAUSE IF SHE LOOKS LIKE AN IDIOT WHILE SHE'S WITH US, IT MAKES US LOOK LIKE IDIOTS TOO, STUPID!"

"But…I thought you _were_ an idiot." Ayame murmured. "What was that?" Kyo growled, joining Yuki and glaring dangerously at Ayame.

"I kid, I kid!" Ayame said fast, trying to stop the furious teens from ripping him to shreds.

"Um…I think I'll go make dinner now." Tohru inched away into the kitchen. "Rena, if you love me and don't want me to be assassinated, say the magic word! Please, save me and say it!" Ayame squeaked.

"Crash!" Rena said just before Kyo was going to pounce on Ayame. Yuki jumped back in the nick of time, so he didn't get hurt.

"Why you little --!" Kyo began fuming, trying to sit up, but Rena made her lips form the word 'crash', warning Kyo to leave Ayame alone.

"Grrrrr….WHY WON'T THIS STUPID THING COME OFF?!" Kyo pulled on the bracelet, but all it did was glow.

"Because, stupid, only I can take it off." Rena responded. "You're cruel." Kyo whined. "Runs in the family." Rena replied, walking into Tohru's room.

"So…This is Tohru's room…" Rena looked around Tohru's room. "Time to make my bed!"

Rena snapped her fingers and a large bed with a blue sheet, a black pillow, and a blue blanket that was folded over about 3 inches at the top was black. (The other side of the blanket is black.)

"Hmmm…My bed looks so out of place in Tohru's pink room!" Rena laughed. "But…That's just like me. I…I'm out of place. I don't belong here. Where I belong is where _He_ wants me to be."

"I belong in my dark little room. I belong to be confined. Just like he wants me to be." Rena whispered.

"I'm only going to cause Tohru trouble is I stay. I have to accomplish my mission fast – I don't want to burden the others."

"They have no idea what they'll be up against. It's not fair that they have to fight. It's…It's not fair that now…They can't be free. Not as long as I exist."

"Kyo…Kyo, I'm so sorry. I'm probably the last person you'd want to see. Or at least the last person the spirit of the cat would want to see." Rena sat down.

"All of you. You may not remember, but your spirits do. As does mine. After what Inami – my carnation – did to you all 2,000 years ago, I didn't think you'd accept me being here."

"I hold so many dark secrets in my heart. So many that I'll have to share with you all, sooner or later. And then you'll see…What Inami did…Was unforgivable."

"God may have ordered it…But the cat and the others…Didn't deserve their never ending curse."

"My goal is to break that curse. And I fully understand that the only way for the curse to fully be broken, for there to not be another generation of Juunishi after this generation…I would have to pay the ultimate price. By Tohru's hands and her hands only."

"Maybe if she knew the truth…If she knew what Inami did…She'd want to kill me. Then they'd all be happy."

"The only reason the curse exist is because of Akito and me. Akito is God. And if I'm part of the curse…Then who do you think I am?"

Rena's eyes flashed white. "It's you again, Inami." Rena mumbled to herself. "It's been quite awhile since I've last heard from you."

_**"So. **__**They are allowing you to stay, are they?"**_

"Yes, they are. It's funny how they all can be so friendly after what we've done."

_**"Rena, you weren't even NEAR being born, nor where they. What happened was me and Itachi's fault. You have nothing to do with it."**_

"Inami…I haven't been sensing any Akuryous lately…Does that mean…The Dark Lord's already at work?"

_**"Yes. That's exactly what it means, Rena. You mustn't waste anymore time. You and your friends must start training. The World's End is coming closer."**_

Rena snorted to herself. "Can't I at least go to school without being reminded that the World's existence rest on my shoulders?"

_**"No."**_

"Why?"

_**"Because I don't want to die."**_

"Please. You have nothing to live for. You're just…here. In my body."

_**"Rena. You understand that I will have to speak with the Cat soon, don't you? You do realize you'll have to tell them everything, don't you?"**_

"Things aren't just that simple, Inami. You can't just pop up like this. One, because when you do that, I feel very strange and weird and it's not fair that you can just pop up out of nowhere and start bossing me around. Literally. And Two…Kyo will chop my head off and _**eat**_ me if you tell him what happened between you and the cat."

_**"Perhaps."**_

"Inami…Please, just wait a little while longer. Let me keep control until I can't anymore, okay? It's kinda freaky that you can just steal my body away whenever you want, so don't do it." Rena took of her shoes.

_**"…Alright. But you**__** have to promise me that when you see Akito again, you will tell them everything and let me come out."**_

"Alright, old woman!" Rena laughed.

_**"Hey, respect your elders!"**_

"Not if my 'elder' won't shut up so that I can go to bed!"

_**"Fine then! Be that way! But for real Rena, you've gotta start training if you hope to get those humans ready for the Akuryous coming our way soon."**_

"'Kay. I will. But first, let me go to school tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon, after school, I'll get as serious as I can!"

_**"…Don't hurt yourself trying to concentrate. I still need you to live."**_

And with that, Rena's eyes turned black again. "She's rude." Rena thought. "But I can't wait to go to a real school tomorrow! And maybe I'll be put in Tohru's class!" Rena laid down on her bed.

_"Maybe I'll be able to meet some of Tohru-kun, Kyo-kun, and Yuki-kun's friends…Yeah…I'll do my best!"_ Rena thought, trying to get to sleep.

-----------------

"Hatori, I need to speak with you. About Rena and Akito." Shigure murmured to Hatori, who nodded his head.

"Shire, Ayame, why don't you go and see to it that the Princess is in bed? She needs rest for tomorrow." Hatori suggested.

"But she hasn't eaten yet!" Tohru returned with dinner and set everyone's food on the table.

"It would be a shame if she missed Miss Honda's cooking." Yuki reasoned. "She's never had any of Miss Honda's delicious cooking before."

"So what?" Kyo sneered. "I think she's better off sleeping anyway! That way she can't annoy me!"

"Don't say let her hear you say that!" Shire warned. "And just why the hell shouldn't I?" Kyo demanded. "What, is she gonna 'crash' me?"

"No, worst. She'll start crying." Shire replied. "Crying?" Kyo repeated, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

Shire nodded. "She doesn't like to act like it, but she really does look up to you, and Yuki. You're, unfortunately, a role model. An idiotic role model. Ever since she was a little kid she wanted to be like you, minus the arrogance and stupidly, because you were so strong and powerful back in the Future."

"What do you mean _**was**_?" Kyo growled. "I don't mean anything by it! Honestly! I'm just saying you're much stronger 1,010 years from now!" Shire exclaimed.

"But seriously, have you EVER heard that girl cry when she's really upset? It's SUPER LOUD! She sent sound waves all over the place and broke my house! My ears bled until I was almost deaf the last time!"

"AND I SHOULD CARE WHY???" Kyo yelled at Shire. Look, this pointless conversation is irrelevant! Fine! Do whatever you want! I don't care anymore!" Hatori stood up.

"Let's go Shigure." Hatori pulled Shigure, dragging him by the back of the collar of his kimono.

"Where are we going?" Shigure asked, still being dragged. "Your room." Hatori answered bluntly as he dragged Shigure into his room.

Tohru blinked a few times before snapping out of it. "What's up with them?" Kyo asked. Tohru shrugged.

"I dunno, but dearest Yuki, I shall be sleeping in your room tonight, my sweet brother!" Ayame sang.

The next thing you knew, Yuki was gone, followed by the slamming and locking of a door, and furniture being propped up against it.

"…He…obviously doesn't want to sleep with you…" Tohru sweat dropped. "Or even share the same room with you, for that matter." Kyo muttered under his breath.

"I can't say I blame him."

"I…I didn't even see him get up and leave! He was moving too fast for us to see! Dang, that boy can really run when he wants to!" Shire exclaimed.

"Maybe he didn't like your singing, Ayame. I know I didn't." Kyo retorted. "Oh fine then. Lucky Kyo, I guess I'm gonna have to sleep in _your_ room tonight." Ayame sighed loudly.

"Hell no! You ain't sleepin' with me, you filthy stinkin' snake!" Kyo shouted. "AND DON'T CALL ME LUCKY KYO!!!"

"Whatever you say, Lucky Kyo." Ayame replied, angering Kyo even more. "Hey…You guys…Do you think it's okay to let Rena go to Tohru and Kyo and Yuki's school?" Shire asked.

"Hn? Why wouldn't she be able to go? What's wrong with that?" Ayame inquired.

"There's nothing wrong with the idea of her going to school with Tohru. It's just…Rena's…Not like them. She's somewhat…alone. At heart, at least. And…I've got a strange feeling that something bad's gonna happen." Shire told the group.

"Rena has always been like that ever since her family was murdered 6 years ago. She won't let anyone in on her true feelings. And I know something bad's gonna happen, but…" Ayame trailed off.

"As long as Tohru-hime and Yuki-dono are there, she'll be alright." And just what about me?" Kyo demanded.

"What about you?" Shire asked dully. "I promise you, Yuki and I will do everything in our power to protect Rena's secret!" Tohru assured Ayame and Shire.

_"It's not the secret we're worried about. It's…her reaction to being exposed. She needs to be extra careful now. There's too many people around her for her to make any careless mistakes. Because they might…Cost them their lives."_ Ayame thought.

"Helloooo, what about me? Aren't you forgetting someone?" Kyo waved his arms. "No…I don't think so…" Ayame murmured, thinking about what he could have possibly forgotten.

"ME, YOU DAMN IDIOT!" Kyo yelled right in Ayame's ear. "Ow…You didn't have to be so loud." Ayame whined. "And rude."

"Awww…Does K yon-Kyon feel left out and unwanted?" Shire taunted Kyo. "Don't call me Kyon-Kyon." Kyo's veins popped out of his head.

"Why not, Kyon-Kyon?" Shire asked. "Because it's fricken retard!" Kyo retorted.

"KYOOON- KYON!" Shire sung. Kyo whacked Shire upside his head. "Shut up, ya damn dog." Kyo sneered.

"Look what the cat dragged in." Shire mumbled in pain as he laid on the floor, his eyes replaced with swirls and a large lump residing on her head.

"Well, since Yuki won't let me sleep in his room, and Kyo won't let me sleep in his, and Hatori _**DEFINITELY**_ won't let me stay in the guest room with him, I guess I'll have to sleep in Tohru-chan's room!" Ayame exclaimed.

"You'll do no such thing, you sick pervert!" Kyo boomed. "Aw, fine." Ayame huffed. "But I'm gotta sleep somewhere tonight."

"Why don't you just go and sleep outside?" Kyo grumbled. "In the rain? No way! I'd transform!" Ayame cried.

"Then put a coat on and sleep in the _sewers_!"Kyo stood up, handing Ayame a coat irritably.

"No way Kyon-Kyon!" Ayame laughed. "Stop callin me that!" Kyo raged.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO."

"YES."

"NO!"

"YES!"

"YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!"

"OH, I"LL CATCH YOU ALRIGHT! COME BACK HER YOU STUPID SNAKE!"

"NEVERRRR!!!"

"Grrrrr….I HATE YOU EVEN MORE THAN I HATE THAT DAMN YUKI!"

"GOOD!"

"This is gonna be a _loooong_ night." Shire sighed, sweat dropping as he stood up and walked away.

"Um, guys - !" Tohru tried to stop the boys' argument.

"PUT MY MILK DOWN! N-NO! DON'T DRINK IT! IT'S _**MINE**_!!!" **(It's those stupid cat senses taking over again, lol)**

"Oh well! It's too late, because I already drunk it, Kyonkichi!"

"I'LL KILL YOU, DAMMIT!"

"Um, guys?" Tohru sighed before giving up.

**Me: End of chapter 10! That was a nice sized chapter, wasn't it?**

**SWD: I suppose.**

**Me: Here's something to ponder on for the next 12 ****to 16 chapters: The Sohma Family are the Juunishi, and Akito is God. But if Rena is part of that same curse as well as he own…Then who is she is he is neither God nor part or the Juunishi?**

**Kyo: An idiot.**

**Rena: Crash**

_**CRASH!**_

**Kyo: OWWW!!!**

**Me: I'm not gonna tell you guys much anything for the next 12 to 16 chapters.**

**SWD: You're kidding, right?**

**Me: No, this story will have over 30 chapters. Right now, I'm working on righting chapter 20.**

**SWD: …You write too much.**

**Me: I know. But currently, 7 of those chapters, they're actually in school.**

**SWD: Okay, how can you make 10 chapters about them being in school without it being boring?**

**Me: (grins) Let's just day I have a creative mind.**

**SWD: (backs away slowly) Freak.**

**Me: And proud of it.**

**Kyo: That's not something to be proud of.**

**Rena: Read and review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: Hello my dear, sweet reviewers! Are you ready to see me again?**

**SWD: Maybe.**

**Me: Well, apparently not, because I only got 1 review for my last chapter so far (pouts) Maybe I didn't do so hot…**

**Kyo: Probably**

**Me: Rena, say the magic word please.**

**Kyo: (says quickly while waving his hands and shaking his head fast) NO! No, no, no, no, NO!**

**Rena: ...Can I start the chapter?**

**Me: Sure.**

**Tohru: Can I help you, Rena-nee?**

**Rena: Sure T****o****hr****u-nee!**

**Kyo: (rolls eyes) Get on with it.**

**Tohru/Rena: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her muse and this story, plot, and idea!**

**SWD: (sweat drops) I think you overdid it this time. **

Chapter Eleven

"I'm so…sleepy…" Tohru yawned. "Me too. I'm going to sleep." Kyo held his hands behind his head and walked towards his room.

"Good Night Kyo!" Tohru waved at Kyo as he walked away. "I hope you have pleasant dreams tonight!"

"Oh, don't worry about _**THAT**_ Tohru-kun. As long as _**you're**_ in he dreams, he'll sleep just fine." Ayame smirked.

"Shut up Snake. Before I punch you in your punk ass mouth." Kyo growled. "As you wish, Kyo." Ayame shrugged.

"'Night Tohru. Good Riddance Snake." Kyo opened his door and walked into his room.

"Good Night Ayame! See you tomorrow morning!" Tohru walked into her room.

"Good Night Tohru!" Ayame replied. "Hey, wait a minute…I _STILL_ don't know where I'm gonna sleep tonight!"

---------------

Tohru looked to her right to find her 'half sister' cuddled up in her blankets. "Good night, Onee-chan." Tohru whispered, climbing into her own bed.

Within minutes, Tohru's eye lids became heavy.

Very, very heavy.

And Tohru became sleepy

Very, very sleepy

Just as Tohru was about to fall into a peaceful sleep, she heard Rena mumble in her sleep.

"No…Please don't…I'm…I'm sorry…I won't Run away again…Please…just don't hurt me…"Rena whimpered in her sleep.

"Run away?" Tohru sat up. _"Run away from who? Is some pursuing Rena? And what does she mean by 'I won't run away again'? Has she ran away from someone before?"_Tohru pondered.

_"What is she running away from? Is she…trying to __**hide**__ from something? Is the same thing she's running away from…__**hurting**__ her?"_

"I wonder what could be pursuing her…" Tohru whispered. "Maybe I'm just worrying too much. Maybe she's just having a normal nightmare." Tohru slowly walked up to Rena.

And what Tohru saw might as well said, "Now, you've GOT to be stupid if you think _THIS_ is a regular nightmare!"

Rena was crying. And we're not talking about the type of crying you do when you don't get your way.

We're talking about the whole enchilada – she was sobbing uncontrollably, coughing and choking a bit, shuddering, and let out painful whimpers every few seconds.

"She's not just having a bad dream…She's reliving a horrible memory!" Tohru realized.

"Rena?" Tohru touched Rena's back gently. Rena let out a yelp of pain, causing Tohru to pull back her hand.

"T…Tohru? Is that you?" Rena asked, rubbing her tears away. "Y-Yes Rena." Tohru answered.

"Don't do that! You scared the mess out of me!" Rena exclaimed. "But you were crying. And whimpered. And when I touched your back…" Tohru trailed off.

"Don't touch my back, Tohru. It's a bit sore, and it still hurts. So be careful not to touch, okay?" Rena sat up.

"…Rena…Is someone pursuing you? Is someone looking for you?" Tohru inquired.

"Hn? What makes you ask that?" Rena raised a curious eyebrow. "Well…You were just saying some strange things in your sleep. That's all." Tohru explained.

"Oh, I see…Don't worry about it, okay Tohru? I was just probably talking nonsense." Rena assured Tohru, smiling to convince her as Tohru crawled into her bed.

_"She wasn't just having a bad dream." _Tohru decided, telling Rena good night before laying back down.

_"She doesn't want to talk about it, because it's probably too painful for her. She's avoiding it."_

_"She was relieving something. She was feeling it. She was feeling harsh and cruel pain. The worst kind of pain – Mental, Physical, and Emotional. I can tell by the way she was choking down sobs and whimpering."_

_"And…even though she's smiling on the outside to convince me…It's only a fake smile. She's really bleeding and suffering on the inside."_

_"I would know better than anyone." _Tohru murmured before closing her eyes and trying to go to sleep.

---------------

"Okay Hatori, what do you wanna talk about?" Shigure asked. "_You_ had something to tell _me_, remember?" Hatori retorted.

"Oh _that_….right…"

Hatori looked around. "Shigure, how in God's name do you find anywhere to sleep?" Hatori demanded. "Do you dig a tunnel through this trash to get to your bed or what?"

"Do you want me to tell you or not?" Shigure asked. "Tell me. Or I'll resort to violence." Hatori replied seriously.

"…Recently, I have gotten an order from Akito." Shigure began to get serious **(It's a miracle!)**

"And what was is about?" Hatori asked. "He…Akito is being allowed to attend Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru's school as long as he can behave himself." Shigure told Hatori.

"But Akito has mental problems. He's locked away in the Sohma Estate for a reason. And that reason is because he's crazy – Mentally, physically, and emotionally." Hatori said firmly.

"Why is he being allowed to do this?"

Shigure shrugged. "Akito threw a temper tantrum when Kureno and I wouldn't give him permission at first, and Akito…started getting…You know how he gets when he doesn't get his way. So what else could we do?"

"And besides…His mother gave his permission and signed the paper work. There was nothing we could do even if we wanted to. Plus, we can't go against Akito's orders, so we just backed down." Shigure added.

"Ren." Hatori sighed. "She'd just love to see Akito get in trouble and maybe even arrested if he caused too much trouble in a place like a public High School."

"That is probably her reason." Shigure agreed. "But I just don't get it…What is Akito's purpose for wanting to go to Tohru and the other's school now? It's near the end of the school year and he's have to be a Senior student. It doesn't make sense why he even cares."

"Not unless he's trying to the main rebellions – Yuki and Kyo - in this family. And if he's trying to get to Rena or Tohru too. Plus, Isuzu, Kisa, and Hiro's school isn't too far away." Hatori pointed out. "Not to mention Momiji and Hatsuharu go to the same school as Tohru, Yuki and Kyo."

"And, he'll be closer to their safe environments. So he could get to all nine of them and intimidate them how ever and whenever he wants. It's like, killing nine birds with one stone!" Shigure exclaimed.

"How long have you known about this, Shigure?" Hatori demanded.

"For awhile now…"

"How long Shigure?"

"For the last few hours…"

"When did Akito call you?"

"Akito didn't call me in person. The Hatori from this time called here and told me right before we left to see Rena at The Diner."

"Shigure, did it ever occur to you that you should've told me this _before_ now?" Hatori inquired, letting his annoyance show.

"I couldn't. I didn't want the others to know Akito was coming to their school. How do you think they would've reacted? They may not have the same reasons for it, but all of them, Kagura, Kyo, Yuki, Tohru, and Rena, fear Akito. It's better this way." Shigure explicated calmly.

"And you know Ayame would've been all over Akito in a heartbeat if it was the only way to protect Rena from her fear of Akito. Even if that would cost him his own life."

"Dammit." Hatori cursed under his breath. "Rena's gonna be in big trouble if she comes within confrontation with Akito again."

"Why don't you stop her then?" Shigure asked. "I can't. I don't want to see her cry and I don't want to see her waste her time hiding again. She's happy. Telling her about Akito would only ruin things for her." Hatori explained.

"And besides…Rena's already made up her mind, and she rarely ever changes her mind."

"Hatori, you have to tell her. Don't you think it will help her out a bit if you were the one to tell her and stop her, regardless of the results of consequences? Wouldn't you feel better knowing she was safe? Even if it was just for a little bit longer?" Shigure questioned.

"No. At this point, telling Rena about Akito is not even an option. She's never leave this house again. She'll be too afraid of what will happen if she were to come out of hiding. Akito is one of her worse fears." Hatori replied.

"It…It was never easy for any of us. Just because Ayame took it the hardest doesn't mean Shire and I didn't take it hard ourselves." Hatori admitted with difficulty, looking down to the floor and allowing his long black bangs to cover his pained eyes.

"I...I just don't know what's happening to her. To our little Rena. No matter what happened to her…No matter how wounded she became…She's never tell us."

"She's never tell me or anyone else. Not even Tohru. She refused to let us help. She ordered us not to interfere. She said it like her dying so slowly and painfully meant nothing to us."

"She didn't understand that we were dying too. Seeing her come home to us with scars and wounds and cruises and blood all over sickened us so much. She doesn't know how much she's killing us."

"What are you talking about Hatori?" Shigure asked. "Rena. Her curse is going to kill her soon if she doesn't let anyone help soon." Hatori punched the floor.

"Dammit! She's gonna die if she doesn't get help and there's nothing I can do about it! I can't help her because she won't let me or Ayame or anyone else!"

"Okay, I'm not really following you, but, I guess I play Therapist anyway. Hatori, what would she say whenever you tried to asked her about…uhh….it?" Shigure asked, half confused himself.

"She'd just smile and tell us not to worry about her and that she'd be fine." Hatori murmured.

**Beginning of Flashback (6 years ago)**

"Greta. I look a mess." Rena sighed, limping her wounded and fragile body home to the Supreme Palace.

"I just hope the others aren't still awake…They're be very unhappy with me if I come home wounded again. Like I am now." Rena opened the door.

Rena walked – limped – into the palace, only to find Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure waiting for her.

"Tori-nii? Shii-chan? Ame-nii?" Rena gasped. "You guys shouldn't be up still!" "We were worried, Rena. You haven't been home for a few days know and…" Ayame trailed off, his eyes transfixed on Rena's bruised and beat up body.

Along with Hatori and Shigure.

"Rena…You're wounded. And bleeding fast. Why do you have all those cuts and swelling bruises all over your body? And your clothes are ripped up!" Ayame gasped.

"You look like someone stuck you in a blender and pushed the chop button." Shigure tried to lighten the serious atmosphere in the room.

Hatori sighed. "This is the sixth time you've come home to us with bruises Rena. Is someone beating on you or something? Are you getting into a fight with an Akuryou or something? Or like I said, is someone beating on you?"

"I'm fine Tori-nii. Everything's okay. Nothing's happening. Really." Rena insisted. "Don't worry about it."

"Uh-huh. And those wounds don't prove otherwise?" Hatori bent down to Rena.

"Aren't you in pain? Doesn't that hurt? You're only ten years old. You're practically a baby. Are you sure nothing's happening?"

"I'm sure." Rena nodded her head. "Do you want me to clean your wounds?" Hatori asked the princess.

Rena shook her head. "That's asking too much of you. They'll heal on their own in a matter of time. And I can apply ointment to them on my own anyway."

"Rena…do you trust me?" Hatori asked. "Of course I do, Tori-nii!" Rena exclaimed, laughing. "You, Shii-chan, and Ame-nii are my best friends! I love you guys! Why wouldn't I?"

"Well then Princess, if you truly do love and trust me, then why aren't you telling me what's going on?" Hatori demanded.

"Rena, is someone hurting you?" Shigure inquired. Rena smiled softly. "Don't worry about me you guys. I'm alright. Really." Rena smiled the best she could with her swollen lip.

"Rena, ever since your family was murdered last year, you've been getting hurt. At first, they were just minor cuts and scrape, a few occasional bruises, but now you're getting severely wounded just about every time we see you! And I'm…I'm scared, Rena."Ayame began, getting on knees and hugging Rena.

"You're scaring me so much. Don't you know we love you so much? We can't help but to worry. I feel so horrible that I can't even stop you from getting hurt. And I'm supposed to be one of your legal guardians!"

"Rena, what's going on? Who's hurting you? Why won't you tell us anything?" Ayame asked, worried even more now.

"I…I promised I wouldn't tell on him. He told me telling was bad. So it's our little secret, okay?" Rena pressed her finger up to her lips as Ayame let go of her.

_"I must never tell anyone about it. Not even Ame-nii. Because if I do…My friends and Ame-nii and Tori-nii and Shii-chan will be killed by him."_ Rena thought

"I…I just have to be better. Then I won't get hurt as much." Rena told Ayame.

"Who is he? How is he hurt you like this? What do you need to be better at and why? What does he do to you exactly?" Hatori grabbed Rena's arms. "We need to know so that we can help you Rena."

Rena removed Hatori's hands. "I told you. It's a secret." Rena smiled before leaving the room.

"Heaven forbid these upcoming headaches of mine…Rena, go take a shower and wash the blood off your body." Shigure called after Rena.

"Okay Shii-chan." Rena nodded, slowly walking up the stairs. Suddenly, the grandfather clock struck one.

"Dammit!" Ayame punched a hole through the grandfather clock. "Easy there Aya," Shigure sweat dropped. "You're breaking the house."

"Dammit! What are we going to do with that girl? First she forbids us to make any actions of interference, now she won't even tell us what's happening?" Ayame slumped to his knees.

"I don't think I could take it if she came home like that one more time…I just don't know how to help her without breaking the law...Or her orders, which technically IS the law in this case."

Shigure leaned against the wall. "This really pissed me off." "Me too." Hatori agreed. "Do I really have to answer that one? Isn't it obvious?" Ayame said miserably.

"It's okay Ayame. Right now, all we can do is try to narrow down our suspects." Shigure tried to assured Ayame.

"We have no suspects. There's no one in the kingdom that could be doing this, the villagers and the peasants fear Ayame's wrath too much to even come near Rena, and there's no way possible Rena could be doing it to herself, so how can you say things are going to be alright?" Hatori demanded.

"…Maybe I was right and she did fall into a blender and was set on chop." Shigure attempted to get his cousins to at least smile.

Hatori and Ayame's eyes began to glow. "Um…Your eyes are glowing." Shigure sweat dropped, laughing nervously.

"We know that." Ayame growled. "I wonder why they're glowing." Hatori glared. "Hmmm…I wonder why indeed…" Shigure rubbed his chin.

"Whatever the case, we should intensify our efforts to help Rena. Even if she doesn't to come out and say it, she needs our helps." Shigure told his cousins.

"I'm pretty sure whoever is that's doing this to her is intimidating her into not getting help or ratting on him. He probably even has a hostage or advantage or some sort. A strategy."

"We fully understand that." Hatori replied. "That's why we're not giving up so easily. Even if she won't tell us…We'll catch him one day."

"And I beat the leaving hell out of him, behead him, cut him up into little piece, set the little piece on fire and let him burn to ashes, bury the ashes, resurrect him, and do it all over again and again and again and again!" Ayame said firmly and ferociously.

"…Aya…You're scaring me…" Shigure back up. "You're really…REALLY scaring me…"

"Then be scared." Ayame retorted.

**End of Flashback **

"From there on out, things only got worse. Sometimes Hatsuharu would have to bring her home, because she was unconscious and beaten to almost death." Hatori told Shigure.

"It's been like that for the last 6 years. She'd never tell anyone about it. I wanted to help, but what can I do? She ordered us not to even speak of it from that point on. And I have no other choice but to listen to her." Hatori continued.

"I can understand why she won't tell anyone. She doesn't want anyone to get hurt or for anyone to worry about her. She wants to protect the little she has left."

"Rena's lost more things in her life than anyone else I've ever known. She's lost her family, her memories she shared with them, she's lost her friends, her freedom, her world, and now all she had left in us."

"I believe that if one more misfortune was to happen to her…She's finally crack and lose the will to live. And without the will to live…Life will lose to Death."

"And because of her curse, if that happens, she might as well resign herself to Death, because she'll die. And that's what I fear the most."

"Rena's heart is so fragile. It is easily hurt, easily scarred. But it can never be healed completely. No matter what happens…If she holds it in for much longer…If she tries to keep the pain to herself and let no one help her with it and let it out…It will consume her, and she will die."

"I know she will. We all do. But she just doesn't care. As long as she can save Tohru-hime and the others, she doesn't care what happens to her."

"She's just like Tohru. She smiles so much…I would've thought she was the happiest and most carefree girl on Earth if I didn't know any better." Shigure looked at Hatori.

"But really, she's the most unfortunate and despondent person I've ever met. Thing s must be so hard on her...But that's not really my concern. _My_ concern is that she at least has a reason to live." Shigure placed a hand on Hatori's shoulder to grab his attention.

"Hatori, you're all wrong. She'll never die. And she does have a strong will to live that she will never lose. She's living Hatori – not for herself, but for you. And Ayame and Shire and Tohru and the others."

"She will _never_ lose the will to live. Not as long as you don't. I don't know much about this Tsujitani Curse stuff, but I do know that Rena's strong enough to beat this things and I know she won't die on us."

"Not without a fight, at least." Shigure grinned. "Shigure…" Hatori looked up, surprised that Shigure had actually made sense.

"You…You make perfect sense. For once." Hatori muttered. "It looks like you're not as dumb as I thought you were."

"Hey! What's that suppose to mean?!" Shigure whined, pouting. "You're so mean Tori!"

"You better get your rest. Tomorrow's Monday. That means your editor is coming." Hatori stood up.

"I'm sure you want all of your energy to terrorize that poor woman."

"Me? Why, I'd never…" Shigure smirked, trying to seem innocent.

Too bad it didn't work.

"Uh-huh. I thought as much." Hatori sighed, turning to walk out of the door. Hatori walked out of Shigure's room and was face to face with Ayame.

"So, Akito's going to Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru's school, huh?" Ayame whispered. "You're quite the eavesdropper." Hatori muttered.

"Pretty nosey of you, don't you think?" "You know…The only way for the Tsujitani and the Sohma Curses to be broken is if they work together." Ayame murmured.

"Yes, but they won't do that. Not in this lifetime." Hatori responded. "I wonder what the outcome of Rena seeing Akito will be…" Ayame wondered out loud.

"It's hard to believe how things use to be between Rena and Akito. Back then, things were so much better…"

Hatori left Ayame and walked towards the guest room **(The guest room is in the house in this story. They don't have a hanare – a separated guest house - yet like they do in the manga)**

"What are you going to do?" Ayame called after Hatori. "Isn't it obvious?" Hatori called back, disappearing into the guest room.

Ayame sighed, walking into Tohru's room. Ayame watched Rena while she slept, smiling gently to himself.

_"You shouldn't try to force things out of her, Tori"_ Ayame thought. _"What will be, will be. What won't, won't. She'll tell us one of these days. Don't rush her. Rena will come around to it. I know she will. She's a very smart and trusting young woman."_

_"She'll need us one of these days, and she'll open up to us totally, her hands outstretched and reaching for our help. And…until that day comes…I'll be right there with her, waiting for her gesture of help."_ Ayame caressed Rena's cheek.

At Ayame's touch, the expression of pain on her face eased a bit. "A…Ame-nii…I…Love you." Rena smiled, knowing even in her sleep that Ayame was watching over her.

Ayame's eyes widened in surprise a bit before he smiled to. "…Good night, my sweet daughter. I love you, too." Ayame whispered, kissing Rena gently on her soft cheek and tucking her in tighter before leaving the room quietly.

_"Maybe she'll need my help even sooner than I hope."_

**Me: Okay, that was probably a little bitter and sweet useless chapter, but it does give a little information and it'll be very important for a chapter to come. **

**SWD: In a VERY long time.**

**Kyo: In about 15 chapters from now.**

**Me: You say it like that's bad.**

**Kyo: That's because it is.**

**SWD: Read and review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Me: I have returned!**

**Kyo: Unfortunately.**

**Me: Don't be so rude Kyo. Tohru is in our presence (points at Tohru)**

**Kyo: So?**

**Me: **_**Soooo**_**, you **_**LOVE**_** her!**

**Kyo: (blushes furiously) No I don't like her!**

**Tohru: Hi guys! **

**Me: Tohru, Tohru, Kyo has a secret to tell you!**

**Tohru: What is it?**

**Me: Kyo has a crush on someone! Kyo is in love ****with - **

**Kyo: (covers his hands over EGP's mouth) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena!**

**Me: (muffled) Mmmmm! Mmmmm! Mmmmmmmm!**

**Tohru: …O.O…**

**Me: (bits Kyo's hand)**

**Kyo: OOOOWWWCCCHHH!!! **

**Me: Anyway, first I will begin the chapter with Rena's Dream, but I promise you after that, there will be nothing but humor! And, Mitsuru will be coming! So just bare with me for a bit longer, okay?**

**Kyo: I'd like to bare my fangs at you if I had some. (Glares at EGP)**

**Me: Roll 'em!**

Chapter Twelve

**Rena's Dream**

_"He'll kill me when he finds out." _Rena thought, cowering in the corner of the small, dark room. _"He'll destroy me. I'm so scared…"_

"Rena." A dark figure and an outline of a man walked into the room, holding a long object in his hand.

"M…Master?" Rena whimpered, bowing down before him on her knees like a servant.

"Good. You're bowing down to me like the slave wench you are." The man sneered. "Rena, you ran away from me again."

"Please Master, don't. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise. Just don't hurt me." Rena begged.

"I gave you this nice little room, Rena. Did I give you permission to abandon it?" The man ordered.

"…No Master, you didn't." Rena mumbled. "I gave you this room. I made this room just for _you_. And it hurts me to know you keep running away from it. It hurts me to know you're trying to hide from me." The man began.

"Sure, most night, I let you go home. But you are expected to return to me." The man got on his knees in front of Rena, crawling as close to her as possible.

"Do you hate it here? Do you hate me? Do you want to go far away? Are you trying to leave me? Are you becoming defiant?" The man whispered in Rena's ear with a wicked taunt, sending a chill down her spine

"Do you really think you can ever escape me? Do you think you can escape your fate and destiny?"

"N…No." Rena lied. "No Master, I don't. I'm not." "You're lying." The man stood up.

"All you do is lie, you ugly bitch! Is that all you can do wench? Lie and run? And hide? Huh? Or are you too afraid of my wrath to tell the truth? Is that it?"

"It looks like I'll have to remind you who you belong to and where your loyalties lie." The man sighed.

Rena's heart sank. "No! Please! Don't hit me! Please don't! I'm sorry!" Rena pleaded the man. "Sorry isn't good enough." The man snorted, raising the object in his hand.

Rena realized long ago that the object was her Master's favorite toy: A whip.

_CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!_

The rough whip came down hard on Rena again and again. "AAAAHHH! Please! Stop it! Stop it! Please!" Rena screamed in pain, curling up in a ball in the corner and holding her arms over her head while the whip came down on her.

"Why should I? You're an ugly little lying bitch! You deserve whatever I throw at you! Because you are a pathetic wretch!" The man snapped, his whip continuing to rain down on Rena without respite.

"You are my servant! You are my slave! You belong to me! You will do as I say and I will do with you as I please! You were given to me, remember? You are nothing more than a toy to me! And if I feel like beating you, then I will! I'm the Master and you're the Slave, not the other way around!"

_CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!_

"Stop it! I won't run away from you again! I promise I won't!" Rena yelped in pain, bawling uncontrollable from the sharp and painful impact her fragile body was enduring.

"Silence, bitch!" The man snorted.

_CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!_

"Please! Itachi-sama!" Rena pleaded. The whip dropped from the man's hand and he slapped Rena across her face sharply, again striking her weak and wounded body.

"That name. Never call me that name. Do you understand? Never call me that name. Address me as Master and nothing else, wench!" The man snarled.

"Use my real name. My new name. Use the name of the one I serve to address me. Do not make that mistake again." The man walked to towards the door.

"If you die, it's all you fault. If you wouldn't run away, I wouldn't hit hardly as much as I do! If you would be a good girl, I wouldn't have to hurt you half as much! It'll be all your fault if you die! All yours! You hear me, yours!" The man yelled at Rena.

"The man walked to the door. "Now. Don't leave this room, you understand? Stay bitch. And don't even think about running away again. Don't make me have to track you down like the dog you are." The man left the room, locking the door and Rena within it.

Rena hugged her knees to her chest and shuddered. "Please, let me out!" Rena began crying all over again, meaning to scream it out, but her voice was just about gone from her previous beating.

_**"Torturing someone mentally, physically, and emotionally ruins them. Trapping someone in the dark like he does to you hurts, doesn't it?"**_

"Why do I have to do this? Why did they give me to him? Can't I be set free? Can't I find my way out of this dark hell, Inami? Can't you help me?"

_**"I'm powerless against your Master, Rena. It's your fate. You should try to embrace it and make the best out of it. Before your time runs out."**_

"This is all your fault! Why must I be dragged into this? What does he want with me anyway?"

_**"Rena, I'm really sorry. It's just – "**_

"Don't talk to me ever again! I hate your guts! I hate everything about you! You're the reason why he wants me dead! You're the reason why I'm a slave! You're the reason for everything! All you did was cause this problem! So if you can cause it, prove that you can stop it!" Rena yelled at her inner voice.

"Please, let me out of here! Let me out of this prison! Let me out! Please!" Rena banged on the doors, but only heard the man's wicked laughter.

Rena slumped to her knees, her miserable tears returning to her eyes.

_"Please. I'm so desperate. Please, let me out."_

**End of Rena's Dream ****(More like nightmare though. Okay, you can now announcing that I am evil to my nice little muse. But I have my reasons)**

Rena woke up in a cold sweat. "Damn. Why do I always have such horrible dreams every night?" Rena cursed under her breath, lying back down.

"I'm so glad Tohru's still okay though…I'd suffer 10 tens as much the pain just to make sure she's always safe."

--------------------

**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**

Kyo turned over and groaned, trying to ignore his alarm clock.

**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Please. Just 5 more minutes." Kyo yawned.

**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Be quiet."

**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Hush."

**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Silence!

**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Dammit, I said shut the hell up! I'm still sleepin'!" Kyo growled, grabbing the closest thing to him and trying to go back to sleep.

**……………………………………………………..BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEP!!!**

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr…ALRIGHT ALREADY, DAMMIT! I'LL GET UP!" Kyo yelled, opening his eyes.

Ah yes, our dearest Kyonkichi had indeed grabbed something.

But what he hadn't realized at the time was…

He didn't grab a pillow.

**-Silence-**

"…AYAME?!?!" Kyo screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'm glad to see you too, Shigure." Ayame murmured in his sleep. Wrapping his arms around Kyo.

**(He's still dreaming and sleeping, remember.)**

"You haven't been cheating on me, have you?" "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Kyo yelled, jumped out of his bed. **(More like mat)**

"AND JUST WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'YOU HAVEN'T BEEN CHEATING ON ME'? WHY WOULD YOU ASK SHIGURE SUCH A STUPID QUESTION?!"

"Oh. You heard me." Ayame yawned. "Don't worry about it, Lucky Kyo. Are the princesses okay?"

"Don't 'don't worry about it' me! Tell me! AND I TOLD YOU TO QUIT CALLING ME THAT!" K yo blared.

"Tooooooooohru-kun! What's for breakfast?" Kyo and Ayame heard Shigure asked the onigiri.

"Shigure! Breakfast!" Ayame ran out of Kyo's room. "Hey! Get back in here you bastard! You still haven't answered my question yet! HEY!" Kyo shouted after Ayame.

"I'm getting ready to make something right now!" Tohru called to Shigure from her room. She was dressed in her sailor dress school uniform and brushing her long dark brown hair.

"Rena-nee, it's time to get up! We have to go to school soon!" Tohru shook Rena.

"I'm coming…" Rena moaned, waking up a little. Tohru ran into the kitchen.

"Sensei! Oh Sen – sei!"

"Let the games begin." Shigure thought evilly, rubbing his hands together. "Yes?" Shigure answered the door."Oh, it's you, Mitsuru."

"Sensei, are you done with the 500 page manuscript for your new novel?" Mitsuru asked.

"Hmmm…Now that I think about it…I think…I lost it somewhere…" Shigure trailed off. "I don't think I remember very clearly where I last had it…No…Nope, I don't. Sorry Mitchan.

"SORRY?! THERE'S NO TIME TO BE SORRY SENSEI!!! THE DEADLINES TOMORROW!!!" Mitsuru cried.

"Hurry! You're got to get to work!" Mitsuru pushed Shigure to his room. "Not until I have breakfast!" Shigure turned around, causing Mitsuru to fall.

"But Sen – _seiiii_!" Mitsuru whined. "I can't think or write on an empty stomach." Shigure shrugged. "And besides, breakfast's the most important meal of the day!"

"Fine. But after that, you have to get started on the manuscript!" Mitsuru called after Shigure. "Promise me you will!"

"I will!" Shigure crossed his fingers. "Not." "Wow Tohru-kun! This breakfast looks delicious!" Ayame exclaimed.

"Yeah, nii-san's right. It does look _very_ delicious." Yuki agreed with his older brother.

**-Silence-**

**-More Silence-**

"Yuki…You…You just called ne Nii-san! You're finally trying to meet me half way! At long last!" Ayame cried happily.

"Don't flatter yourself. I only called you nii-san once." Yuki's veins popped out of his head.

"Let's eat!" Shigure began to gobble down his food. "S'up everybody." Rena walked into the living room wearing a large whit T shirt, droopy socks, and her long black hair was EXTREMELY messy and dripping wet.

"What? Why are you all staring at me like that?" Rena inquired. "Aren't you going to school with us?" Yuki asked. "Yeah." Rena replied.

"Well then get dressed stupid!" Kyo snapped. "Relax. I just got out the shower. I just needed something to throw on real quick so that I could say good morning." Rena snapped her fingers.

("You could've said hi _after _you got dressed." Kyo muttered.)

Suddenly, Rena's outfit changed and she was dressed in a girl's school sailor dress uniform, only instead of it being blue, it was black.

"There. You happy now, Mr. Negativity?" Rena sat down next to Yuki. "No." Kyo retorted. "But I'll be happy when you leave."

"Hey Yuki, do you want some cheese?" Rena asked , ignoring Kyo and offering Yuki some of the cheese on the table.

"No thank you." Yuki replied. "But why?" Rena asked. "Because I hate cheese." Yuki answered.

"But you're a mouse! You're supposed to like cheese! Just like Jerry from Tom and Jerry does!" Rena exclaimed.

"Ironic, isn't it? Yuki's a house mouse that doesn't like cheese." "I'm not a mouse. I'm a rat." Yuki corrected.

"What's the difference?" Kyo sneered. "Well, if you asked me, ("Which I didn't." Kyo muttered while Rena was talking) mice are way cuter than rats. Rats are totally disgusting. I mean, they have long ugly red tail and long ugly yellow teeth! And filthy, stinky, dark fur! How gross!" Rena shuddered at the thought.

Yuki's left eyebrow twitched in anger and irritation while his vein popped out of his head.

"What wrong Yuki? Did I say something to offend you? Did I – " Rena stopped.

It hit Rena finally.

HARD!

_-_**Silence- (Everyone pauses and turned into little white stick like figures like they do in the anime and manga)**

Rena anime fell before quickly recovering and sitting back up and apologizing. _"Oh no! Yuki's a rat!"_ Rena screamed mentally.

"Oh n-no, I m-mean, not you of course Yuki-kun! You're the cutest thing I've ever saw! Yep, as cute as a button! You're the most adorable rat I've ever seen! You're really cute! And clean! And nice! And non yellow teethed and non ugly red tailed! And you're fur's just so slick and clean! You're well groomed too! You're the best rat I've ever met! Mm-hm, the best!" Rena added _very_ quickly, sweat dropping and laughing nervously.

"Save it." Yuki's vein began to throb angrily as he took a sip of his green tea. All Kyo could do was crack up laughing.

"Silence, you stupid cat!" Yuki hissed. "I'm so sorry, Yuki. Really I am." Rena apologized. "I feel like I've done I horrible thing. I didn't mean to offend you. I forgot that you were a rat. But really, you are a very cute and adorable rat, if that makes you feel any better. Oh, I'm so horrible…"

"No, you're terrific!" Kyo exclaimed. "You were telling the downright truth!" "Say the magic word and I'll forgive you." Yuki said to Rena, irritated with Kyo's laughter.

"Sorry Kyo, but Yuki told me to do it, so forgive me. Crash boy." Rena commanded.

_CRASH!_

"Ow.." Kyo twitched in pain. "You won't listen to me, but you'll listen to Rat Boy over here?"

"That's the way it goes, pretty much." Yuki replied. "He's Ame-nii's little brother, so then he's Yuki-nii to me. Yuki's like a second brother to me. What else could I have done?" Rena shrugged.

"YOU COULD'VE NOT LET THAT DAMN RAT AND SNAKE BRAIN WASH YOU!!!" Kyo raged. "Ow…I think that crash threw out my back…Ouch…"

"Poor Kyo." Shigure shook his head. "Poor, poor Kyo. I share my sympathy." "Shut up Shigure." Kyo growled.

"So much hatred flowing through the air…So much violent…" Ayame shook his head in shame.

"AND SOME OF IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU!!!" Yuki and Kyo chorused.

**Me: That was nice, right? I kinda stopped so that all the really funny stuff would happen in the next few chapters.**

**SWD: Great. Now you have even MORE chapters!**

**Me: That's only because I'm trying to catch up to you! You have 20 stories and I want to have more stories that you! I've already got about15! (I haven't posted them all yet)**

**SWD: So?**

**Kyo: This isn't a chat room, so end the chapter!**

**Me: (stares at Kyo) …..R…e…a…d…**

**Kyo: STOP SOUNDING IT OUT!**

**Me: But I'm trying to take up room.**

**Kyo: No you ain't! Read and review please!**

**Me: You're so mean.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Me: Welcome, to another wonderful chapter of my wonderful story!**

**Yuki: Must we return to this treacherous place?**

**Me: Oh come now Yun-yun. You sound like Kyon-Kyon.**

**Yuki: (head perks up and glares at EGP) Don't EVER compare me to that stupid cat. (growls) EVER.**

**Me: (slowly inches away in fear and whimpers) I'm scared.**

**Yuki: (growls) Good. Then be scared.**

**Me: (slowly turns head to Rena and Tohru and squeaks) Please start the chapter without me. I have the feeling Yun-yun's gonna finish me off.**

**Rena: …Loser.**

**Tohru: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena and this story!**

Chapter Thirteen

"Thanks Tohru-kun! That was a delicious breakfast!" Rena thanked Tohru happily. "Your welcome!" Tohru smiled.

"The two of you seem to be happy." Hatori walked in. "Hatori!" Tohru gasped. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something to eat? I'm so sorry! I forgot that you were here! Not that you're easy to forget or anything, it's just that you're always so quiet and – _AH_! I didn't make enough! Do you want me to fix you some breakfast? I don't mind if you do! I'll go make some right now if you want!" Tohru exclaimed, freaking out like she always does **(insert sweat drop here)**

Hatori shook his head. "No thank you. I'm not hungry." "What's wrong Tori-nii?" Rena asked.

"I'm fine." Hatori replied. "Well. We'd better get going. Before we're late." Yuki stood up, grabbing his backpack. "Sure Yuki!" Tohru grabbed her book bag.

"Come on Kyonkichi! Let's go!" Rena grabbed Kyo's hand and ran out of the door with Yuki and Tohru.

"LET GO OF ME! AND DON'T CALL ME KYONKICHI!!" Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori heard Kyo yell at Rena from outside.

All three men sweat dropped.

"Where's Shire?" Shigure asked. "Mitsuru's here, remember? If she saw two Shigures here, she's go nuts." Hatori reminded Shigure.

"I know I would."

The front door busted open. "I FORGOT MY BOOKBAG!" Kyo exclaimed, running through the house and searching for his book bag.

"Baka neko." Yuki mumbled under his breath. "Kyo, hurry up and find your book bag! I wanna go to Tohru-kun's school!" Rena called after the Cat of the Juunishi, ran upstairs in search of his belonging.

"Shut up Rena! We'll get there when we get there!" Kyo yelled back at Rena.

"Sensei…Why haven't you started the 500 pages for your manuscript yet?" Mitsuru asked miserably, her bangs covering her eyes.

"It's such a beautiful morning, so I figured, why waste it locked up in my room when I could go out and have some fun to relax my nerves?" Shigure responded.

"I'll start in it tomorrow."

"Bu t…I need to get it to the publisher tomorrow morning…" Mitsuru whispered, still sounding miserable and her bangs still covering her eyes.

"Really? You do? I'm sorry Mitchan. Really I am. But I just can't do it today. My deepest apologizes." Shigure apologized.

Mitsuru walked to the back wall and slumped to her knees. "I…I need a razor.." Mitsuru murmured.

"Why?" Ayame asked curiously. "BECAUSE I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF!! I CAN"T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!" Mitsuru grabbed her short hair, yelling and pulling on it.

"What's wrong?" Tohru asked, walking up to Mitsuru with Yuki, not knowing what was going on.

"Shigure's finally corrupted this poor woman's soul, that's what's wrong." Hatori said to Tohru.

"I'm going to kill myself!" Mitsuru told Tohru, dead serious and sounding like a maniac.

"…Do I even want to know?" Yuki inquired. "Because I can't stand sensei anymore!" Mitsuru cried.

"So all of this racket is _**YOUR**_ doing." Yuki glared at Shigure. "How could you blame all of this on me? I'm innocent! Honestly! See?" Shigure pointed to the halo above his head.

"That halo is very deceptive." Yuki retorted.

"But…I'm an angel." Shigure smiled. "I can do no wrong."

"I'd like to see the day I could believe that."

"Why Yuki! I'm appalled! How can you say such mean things about your older cousin?!"

"Easily."

"I need…a razor…" Mitsuru groaned. "You need a razor?" Rena asked, walking into the room with Kyo, who had _**FINALLY**_ found his book bag.

**(It had been ripped apart into shreds and scattered all over Kyo's room for some strange reason. But Rena was easily able to help him fix it by chanting magic spell!)**

"Will a knife do?" Rena inquired, holding up a sharp and pointy knife with a large pointed razor blade.

_**-Silence-**_

"STUPID! WHY WOULD YOU GIVE _**THAT**_ TO _**HER**_?!" Kyo yelled at Rena.

"Shouldn't you've asked _why_ she needed a razor _before_ handing her a razor sharp knife?" Yuki sweat dropped.

"Rena, don't give _that_ to Mitchan! She's suicidal!" Tohru cried. _"Only because a certain __**someone**__we know all too well made her that way."_ Hatori thought, shooting dirty looks directly at Shigure.

"_Me_? Are you saying Mitchan's suicidal because of _me_? Why, I would _**never**_ do such a thing!" Shigure insisted dramatically, offended.

"That's funny…I don't remember anyone saying _**you**_ did it." Yuki retorted. "Who else could've done it?" Hatori responded.

"Yes! I need that knife!" Mitsuru snatched the knife away from Rena and held it up to her neck.

"I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna kill myself!" Mitsuru warned. "Um, Mitchan… I don't think you such do that. You'll die." Rena said stupidly and Shigure-style, sweat dropping.

**(You know, like how Shigure was like "Um, you're eyes are glowing." When Kagura's eye were glowing)**

"You just figured that one out?" Kyo muttered under his breath. "Shigure, tell Mitchan the truth." Rena ordered the inu.

Shigure whined, but sighed in defeat when Rena shot an angry death glare at him.

"Okay, okay. Mitchan, the truth is, I finished the manuscript 3 days ago. I was only playfully teasing you." Shigure confessed, handing the manuscript to Mitchan.

"Mmm-Mmm-Mmm. That poor woman." Hatori shook his head, pitying Mitsuru and being ashamed of Shigure.

"Shigure, you truly are an idiot."

"Coming from you, Tori, I can almost believe it." Shigure replied. _"What's not to believe?" _Yuki thought.

Mitsuru raised her hand and slowly took the manuscript from Shigure. "…Sensei…" Mitsuru whispered, her bangs covering her eyes again.

"Sensei, I hate you!" Mitsuru yelled at Shigure, looking up at him angrily with furious tears in her eyes.

"I hate you so much! You tricked me again! You're so mean!" "I was only playing." Shigure patted Mitsuru's head while she cried.

"…We've gotta go!" Tohru ran out the door. "Coming Miss Honda!" Yuki ran after Tohru. "C'mon Kyo!" Rena grabbed Kyo's hand and ran out the door.

"Let me go! I can walk by myself!" Kyo snapped, pulling away from Rena as they ran after Tohru and Yuki.

"And to think they wasted all of their precious time just to find Kyo's book bag and watch Mitsuru." Ayame sighed.

"Mayuko's not going to be pleased by this. And she'll come after me first!"

"You can go home now Mitchan. Here, why don't I give you a ride to the office?" Shigure offered.

"I'll be better than me being as cruel as to make you _walk _there."

"But Sensei…You don't have a driver's license, do you?" Mitsuru asked Shigure.

…

"…Of course I do." Shigure finally responded. _"Uh-huh, then why'd you have to think about it?"_ Mitsuru thought, following Shigure outside.

"_This is going to be a Joyride from Hell. Kami-sama, please, have mercy on my Sensei-corrupted soul. I don't wanna die with HIM! I want to die PEACEFULLY! And there's nothing about Sensei that's peaceful!"_

"You can come out now, Shire." Hatori called on the future-inu. "Finally! Mitchan's gone! I'm _starving_ to _death_!" Shire exclaimed.

"Yes, yes, but we have much more important matters to discuss. You can eat later." Ayame replied.

"More important? What's more important that getting food in my tummy?!" Shire pouted.

"A lot of things." Hatori retorted. "Like the Darkness Collision." "Hm? The Darkness Collision?" Shire repeated.

"Okay, I'll give this a chance. Go on, you've got my attention. Surprising ly."

"Akito-san will be attending Rena's new school." Hatori told Shire. "And when they met…The Angel of Death influenced by the Dark Lord's darkness will take root."

"I see. But would this Collision…kill Rena?" Shire asked curiously. Not necessarily. Rena-hime has become much stronger. Yes, the collision will leave a great impact on her, both mentally and physically, but No, she won't die. Hopefully." Hatori replied.

"This just isn't fair to Rena. It's neither natural nor possible for a human being to harbor as much power as Akito does. We all know that Akito stronger than all 5 of the chosen ones, and his darkness will corrupt them both. Especially when the Dark Lord initiates within him." Ayame began.

"Why must she always be compared to him? Why does Rena always have to fight Akito? You and I both know that is Akito ever stopped playing around with her and used his powers to the maximum on her, the Tsujitani Curse's 3rd effect would take root."

"Yes, we know Ayame. Rena being around Akito just won't be any good for her benefits. She'll only get weaker and weaker. But what else can we do? She's the only one who's mastered her powers. She's the only one that can even try to stand up to Akito and have a chance of living afterward. There's not much of an option left, She had to do it." Hatori pointed out.

"But if Kyo-dono, Yuki-dono, Tohru-hime, and Kagura-hime all worked together and unlocked their powers, wouldn't Rena have even more of a chance of bypassing the Dark Collision?" Shire suggested.

"There's no way for her to avoid the collision, but with her friends' power and trust, she will be able to stand up to Akito and fight against the World's Demise before it's too late. Which is why they must stop fooling around and start preparing themselves, because a battle is on its way, and if they don't have complete trust in Rena, they can't unlock their powers, which means none of them can hope to defeat him before doomsday." Hatori responded.

"The Earth's darkest hour is on its way, it's coming closer and closer. When you pass the Sohma Estate…Can you not just feel the darkness lingering in the air? Akito has seen the Future. And soon, Earth will be destroyed if we do not take action now."

"Akito-san is pure evil. Everything about him, mind, body, and soul, is evil and dark. But does that mean the Light can't shine through his Darkness?" Ayame asked.

"Rena's the only one who can save him. She has to do it willingly for it to work properly. But by saving him…She just might kill herself. After all…Even the Light casts Shadows." Hatori whispered.

**(Okay, I got that quote off of one of my Inuyasha reviewer's, Empress of Light, profile, so just know that quote doesn't belong to me. SO DON'T SUE ME!)**

"Either way…In order to save the human race and Earth…Rena will have to die, won't she? Her life will have to be sacrificed." Ayame murmured.

"It…It seems that way." Shire nodded. "Grrrrr…Dammit," Ayame clenched his fist.

"How I wish…How I wish it didn't have to end this way…" Ayame's long silver bangs covered his golden eyes.

"I wish…I wish she could live. I don't want her to die. Especially not the cruel, painful death awaiting her."

"Rena knows that she must be sacrificed in order to save everyone else. Like Akito, she was born to die." Hatori started.

"She knows that she must be killed by the Purity Princess as will for this to work. Only her life can be sacrificed and only Tohru can sacrifice her and save the world. Tohru will have to accept the fact that the world isn't a happy place, and she'll have to kill Rena."

"No! There has to be another way!" Ayame hit the table hard with his fist. "There…There just has to. Isn't there a way I could take her place? Is there no way I could die for her? Isn't someone going to at least try to help her? How can we just sit around like this when we know she's running out of time?"

"Because there's nothing we can do. What do you want us to do, Ayame? The Angel of Life will lose to the Angel of death, and she will die. You have to accept that fact. And when she does die…You must move forward and forget she ever existed." Hatori said cruelly to Ayame.

"Otherwise, you'll sulk about it for the rest of your life."

"How can you say that like it's nothing? Like she's nothing? Do you really not care about what happens to her, Hatori? Don't you care if she dies? You say it so emotionlessly…Like you know you'll be able to cope with losing her…" Ayame trailed off.

"Another reason why I admire you dearly. I could never be as strong enough to life after such a horrible thing happen to my little Rena. Not like you could, Hatori." Ayame whispered.

"…We should forget about that right now. We need to get the warriors to focus on their mission." Hatori changed the subject.

"_Ayame, I never said I didn't care about Rena. I just know that I have to be strong. You said it for yourself. You look up to me. So how can you look up to me…If I'm in a pitiful position and won't move on?" _Hatori thought.

"_There's no way anyone could cope so easily with the death of the love one. Not even I. I love Rena. I care about her. And if I could, Ayame…I would trade places with her just like you would."_

"Let's see…We will need the assistance of…Our finest demon slayer, the Guardian of Time, and our two highest priestesses. They'll surely be able to whip them into shape." Shire announced.

"Oh, I sure Rena will be able to recruit them once she gives them back their memories. Or add their future memories on to their true memories, if you want to talk precisely." Shire continued.

"And if one of the Juunishi members or Akito-san hugs her, she'll just give them their memories before they flip and lose it. Well, not Akito, because he won't transform anyway…Even if he didn't have his memories…"

"What is the likely hood that Akito-san will _EVER_ hug Rena-hime?" Hatori muttered under his breath.

"Like, zero against all odds." Ayame replied.

**Change in POV**

"We're going to be late for class!" Tohru panicked. "It's okay Tohru-kun, I won't let this class of yours or anyone else hurt you! You can count on me to protect you from this evil and sinister class of yours!" Rena exclaimed heroically, not understand what a class was.

**(She's from the FUTURE people! 1,010 YEARS into the Future! Now I sure they have a MUCH fancier name for class in the future!**

…

**Or maybe not…)**

"…Uh…O…Kay…" Tohru trailed off, dumbstruck. _"No, she's right about it being evil and sinister. Mayuko's there."_ Kyo thought.

"Tsujitani-san, do you know all of the other zodiac member? Have you met the other 10 members?" Yuki inquired.

"Of course!" Rena answered. "Well, did you know that Hatsuharu and Momiji go to our school?" Yuki inquired.

"No way! Hatsu and Momitchi go to your school?! You're SO lucky! Momitchi and Hatsu are just so kawaii! They're so cute!" Rena squealed.

"I wanna hear you say that when Haru goes black and jumps on you." Kyo muttered under his breath.

"Kyo, remember the nice little beads around your wrist and what they do when I say the magic word." Rena taunted, shutting the Cat of the Juunishi up.

"My favorite zodiac member would have to be either Momiji or Kisa, because they're both soooo kawaii and I love them both so much! Kisa's Tohru's, but Momiji's _mine_!"

"…_Why_ did that not sound right?" Kyo mumbled.

"Hey! Tohru!"

Tohru looked to her right to see Momiji running towards her and Hatsuharu trailing slowly behind as she entered school property with Yuki, Kyo, and Rena.

"Tohru!" Momiji hugged Tohru, smiling.

**(This is around the time when Momiji is Tohru's height, and since Rena is Tohru's height, Momiji's Rena's height too, so they're the Three Musketeers! YAY!)**

"Hello Momiji!" Tohru smiled back, greeting the Rabbit of the Juunishi. "…He's wearing a girls' uniform…" Rena trailed off.

"It's disgusting, right?" Kyo asked. "No, he looks just downright cute! He's a cute as a button! I love it!" Rena squealed.

Kyo anime fell. "Why do I bother?" Kyo groaned.

Hatsuharu walked up to Yuki and tugged on his shirt. "Hey Haru." Yuki sighed.

"Momiji-kun, Hatsuharu-kun, met our new friend, Rena-chan!" Tohru introduced Rena to the Ox and the Rabbit of the Juunishi.

"Hatsu! Momitchi! How are you?!" Rena smiled. Hatsuharu walked up to Rena. "For some strange reason, I feel as though I should beat the shit out of any guy that comes near you and steal you away from the man that has your heart." Hatsuharu said bluntly.

**-Long Silence Pause-**

Rena flinched. "Don't tell me he's protective of me even in the past!" Rena twitched, sweat dropping.

"Take it easy Hatsu! Don't go black on everyone – You've way too much to handle when you do that."

"…Should I even ask?" Kyo looked from Rena to Hatsuharu. "Oh, it's nothing really. Hatsuharu's just strangely overprotective of me in a scary way." Rena replied.

"Ya think?" Kyo crossed his arms. "Hatsuharu was assigned to me when I was very little. His job is to protect me. He's like…My personal body guard, kinda." Rena explained.

"Hatsuharu would do endless things to protect me…He was really intent on keeping his end of the bargain he made with Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure."

"Despite how strong and violent he could be, Hatsuharu always was a very sweet guy. We grew up together. He was the very first zodiac member I met, other than Tori-nii, Ame-nii, and Shii-chan."

"I always thought the way Hatsuharu always pledged to protect me was kinda cute, even if it got annoying sometime." Rena giggled.

"…Does _anyone_ realize I'm standing _right_ _here_?" Hatsuharu asked. "Shut up." Kyo pushed Rena into Hatsuharu, forgetting that their curse wouldn't take effect with her, and making her fall into his arms.

"Haru, look!" Momiji pointed at Rena, gasping. "She, she didn't make you transform! And she's not part of our family either!"

"Whoa. That's something new." Hatsuharu blinked a few times. "You'll forgive for this, won't you Hatsu?" Rena asked in a cute and innocent tone.

"That depends…What are you gonna – " Hatsuharu was interrupted by Rena grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and kissing him.

…

…

…

Tohru watched Rena kiss Hatsuharu speechlessly

**(She had that surprised expression on her face. You know, when her hair kinda sticks up and her mouth is hanging open and her eyes look weird. It's priceless when she makes that face)**

Momiji blushed, Yuki shook his head, and Kyo raised an eyebrow, basically saying, "Rena, what the hell are you doing kissing my cousin?"

Finally, Rena broke away from Hatsuharu, still grabbing on to his shirt. "Now how do you feel?" Rena asked the Ox.

"Do you have any new memories?"

"Oh, I get it now! You were giving Hatsuharu his memories from the future through lip contact!" Tohru exclaimed, understanding Rena's sudden action.

"Yes. When I kiss any male member of the zodiac who to not have their memories of the future yet, their new memories will be transmitted to them through t he lip contact." Rena explained.

"Unfortunately, I can only girl the male members their memories that way, so I have to figure out another way to transmit their memories, and the only male members it won't work on are Yuki and Kyo, for some strange reason…It probably wouldn't work on Akito either, but I wouldn't try. It's probably die gagging if I did."

"I can see why it won't work on me! I wouldn't let you kiss me in the first place!" Kyo yelled at Rena.

"Suit yourself. I don't try care if you miss out." Rena shrugged. "And just what the hell's that suppose to mean?" Kyo growled.

"So Hatsu, how do you - - !" Rena was interrupted by Hatsuharu pulling her into his arms and embracing her.

"You wanna know how I feel, do ya?" Hatsuharu snickered. "Well if you _really_ wanna find out, then let's just do it. I mean, I might as well do it with someone cute. After all, even if you could make me transform by hugging me, it really wouldn't matter. We can do it without hugging." Hatsuharu grinned.

"And _this_ is Hatsu's alter ego, Haru. Haru is very perverted and annoying. And he's flirtatious. I suppose _this_ is what I get for kissing _him_." Rena sighed.

"What can I say? You've got me head over heel for you." Black Haru said teasingly, taunting Rena.

"Alright Haru! Let me go! This really isn't funny! School's gonna start any second you know!" Rena struggled to get out of Black Haru's embrace.

"What's the rush? You're a 2nd year student, right? Well I'm moving to Tohru's class, and you're going to be in Tohru's class, so we'll have all the time in the world." Black Haru responded.

"You can't just decide to skip a grade and transfer to _my_ classes!" Kyo yelled at Black Haru.

"Sure I can, Orangey. It's not like I'm gonna be there for you. I'm going for Rena." Black Haru retorted.

"What's the point?" Rena inquired. "Duh. It's my _JOB_. I'm _supposed_ to protect you." Black Haru said as if Rena was stupid.

" One, don't talk to me like I'm stupid, and two, you don't need to follow my every move. It's the _21st_ century. It's not _nearly_ as dangerous as it is in the 31st century." Rena responded.

"You seem pretty irritated." Black Haru stated the obvious. "The only reason I'm irritated is because a certain _someone_ went black on me and is being _very_ annoying." Rena's vein popped out of her head.

"You're so damn cute when you're irritated." Black Haru chuckled, letting go of Rena.

"Coming from you, should I take that as a compliment or an insult?" Rena's popped veins throbbed. "You just enjoy annoying me like this, don't you?"

"Hey, Orangey, we still have a score to settle." Black Haru turned to Kyo. "I'm ready when you are!" Kyo got in a fighting stance.

"Don't encourage him, you stupid cat." Yuki sweat dropped. "Now it's your turn Momiji." Rena pressed her lips against Momiji's, his cheeks turning a light pink tint.

"Do you remember anything, Momitchi?" Rena asked. "Maybe…" Momiji turned away and closed his eyes, crossing him arms.

"Or maybe I don't, Rena-hime." Momiji opened one eyes and smirked, sticking his tongue out at Rena.

"Momitchi, you remember! Wai!" Rena flung her arms around the Rabbit of the Juunishi, hugging him.

"KAWAII! It's been such a long time since I've last seen you! You're getting bigger and cuter everyday! Oh, I just love you! Aishiteru! You're so cute Momiji!" Rena exclaimed.

"Rena, you shouldn't talk to Momiji like that. He's only a year younger than us." Yuki reminded Rena."He's the same age as you."

"You ready to fight?" Black Haru inquired from the Cat of the Juunishi. "Any time, any place." Kyo retorted.

_**SPLASH!**_

Suddenly, a bucket of ice cold water was thrown over both members of the Juunishi's heads, making them soaking wet.

"What just happened?" Hatsuharu pushed his soaking white hair out of his eyes.

"What the hell?!" Kyo looked up angrily to see Mayuko holding a bucket and crossing her arms, looking unsatisfied with the two teenagers.

-_**Silence**_-

"You did that, didn't you?" Kyo growled at Mayuko. "Get your butts in class. Now. You're all late." Mayuko threw the bucket over her shoulder and walked into the school building.

"I'm cold." Hatsuharu sneezed, "Shut up." Kyo snapped.

**Me: And there you have it! The end of chapter 13!**

**Rena: She hopes, you liked it, because she enjoyed typing it!**

**SWD: She's a loser with no life.**

**Me: Okay, there will be about 12 or 13 more chapters of them in school, I'm warning you. And it won't be boring, I promise. So if there's anything that you don't understand yet…You'll understand in around chapter 25 or 26.**

**SWD: And that weird dream that Rena had, it all will be explained. Especially the thing about the Dark Collision and the Angel of Death and the Angel of Life and all that good stuff.**

**Me: Who's ready to read insane stuff?**

**SWD: Heh heh heh…Sane people, exit the building. Or you will enter with your sanity and exit without any.**

**Rena: …You guys are creepy.**

**SWD/Me: We know.**

**Rena: …Idiots.**

**SWD/Me: Hey!**

**Rena: Read and Review please!**

**Me: Just click that cute little go button at the bottom of the screen, and write a nice and cute little review, okay?**

**SWD: Thanks!**

Return to Top


	14. Chapter 14

**Me: 'Ello people! I'm back again****! Are you happy?**

**Kyo: No.**

**Yuki: Get over it.**

**Me: Hey, has anyone else read Volume 18 yet?**

**SWD: ME!!!**

**Me: Is it me, or when Shigure approaches Isuzu and begins talking about the curse, was Shigure acting…Non-Shigure or what? I'm telling you, he's getting scarier every day. I think Akito would've approached Isuzu the way he did. And the way his hair was blowing in the wind kinda reminded me of Akito.**

**SWD: You're just delusional.**

**Me: Whatever you say…Hey, does anyone have any clue what might be in that black box Isuzu attempted to steal from Akito?**

**SWD: Not the slightest.**

**Me: I wonder why Ren wanted it so much…Okay, how about this, does anyone have a clue how to break the Zodiac Curse?**

**SWD: I have came up with a conclusion, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so I won't tell.**

**Me: SWD and ET's (Ethereal Thoughts. That's SWD's older sister.) conclusions are pretty good.**

**SWD: Yeah, but watch it be wrong just because we thought of it.**

**Me: Okay, who else thinks Hinata's gonna be the Rooster of the Zodiac? I mean, come on, ****the curse itself much consist of one person per animal, and sense Kureno's no longer the Rooster and Hinata was born into the Zodiac family, it's very possible that she could be the new Rooster of the Juunishi.**

**SWD: It was my idea first.**

**Me: But other people probably figured as much.**** And, there's an even better chance that she WON'T be part of the curse, since that WAS the first time all 12 Junnishi members had been present at one time. **

**Tohru: ****….****So****rry**** for the delay on this chapter too! EGP's internet broke, so this chapter's probably ****l****ate.**

**Yuki: And that's assuming her mom was able to fix it.**

**Momiji: Cross your fingers and hope to God that EGP's Mom fixed the computer! You all want to see more of me, don't you?**

**Kyo: No, they don't Momiji! Get a life!**

**Momiji: I do have a life Kyo! You're so mean!**

**Hatsuharu: Let's just start this chapter already before Kyo kills Momiji.**

**Me: (glances at Kyo, seeing him yell at Momiji and making him cry.) You're right. Rena, start the chapter please!**

**Rena: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but me, this story, and the Bunny Society!**

**Kyo: The Bunny what?**

**Momiji: (giggles) You'll see…**

**Kyo: …Momiji, I'm gonna hurt you, just so that you know.**

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm still cold, you know." Hatsuharu complained. "Get over it. You're wearing dry clothes now. Be thankful for that." Kyo retorted.

"You're mean." Rena muttered. "You're not so nice yourself!" Kyo snapped. "Are you still intending to go to Mayu-sensei's class?" Tohru asked.

Hatsuharu nodded. "I have to. It's my job to protect you princesses." Hatsuharu suddenly popped up in between Rena and Tohru, wrapping his arms around their shoulders loosely.

"With an unreliable guy like Kyo watching over the two of you, you're bound to get hurt."

"And what's that suppose to mean? I'm not here to babysit some stupid girls!" Kyo responded angrily. "And get your arm from around Tohru right now!!!"

"Aw, is Kyon-Kyon _jeal-ous_?" Rena smirked, taunting the Cat of the Juunishi. "Call my Kyon-Kyon again and I'll wring your scrawny little neck." Kyo threatened.

"And as you can see, his bad temper will get your ladies in even more trouble if I do not come along as your Prince in Shining Armor." Hatsuharu proved his point.

"Prince in shining armor?" Yuki raised a curious eyebrow. "Where does he get this stuff?"

"Um…Thanks?" Tohru blinked a few times. "Do not worry, Tohru-hime and Rena-hime, I will protect the both of you from the clutches of evil." Hatsuharu held Tohru and Rena's hands, one of the princess' hands in each of his

**(He was holding one of Tohru's hands, one of Rena's hands, and a pink dreamy background was behind them)**

"Let go of Tohru's hand right now, you no good stinkin – " Kyo was interrupted by Rena hugging Kyo.

**POOF!**

"Now, now Kyon-Kyon, watch that bad temper of yours. You don't wanna hurt Tohru-kun again, do you?" Rena teased the cat.

"Why did he transform?!" Tohru gasped. "Oh, that? It's a spell. If I ever want to make one of the male Juunishi animals transform, all I have to do is mentally chant that spell and poof! They'll transform!" Rena explained.

"I kinda felt left out that I could never naturally make then transform, so I made a spell so that I could make them transform at will whenever I hug them. I won't work on the female members, however, which really doesn't bother me."

"Kyon-Kyon, your fur is so soft!" Rena petted Kyo's fur. _**"STOP TOUCHING ME." **_Kyo growled.

"Fine." Rena dropped Kyo.

_**POOF!**_

"AH! I – I – I – I didn't s-see anything! I wasn't looking!" Tohru shrieked, turning away from the naked Cat of the Juunishi.

"Did I mention that once I stop hugging that specific male member when the spell is in activation…They automatically transform back." Rena grinned.

"You dirty bastard." Kyo growled, collecting his clothes and hurrying to get them on.

"I try. I honestly do." Rena replied. "Yeah, well I still say Mayu-sensei isn't gonna let Cow boy here into our class." Kyo stood up, fully dressed.

"Oh yes she will." Rena responded. "Well, I hope you guys work that out, but I'm going to class now, 'kay? See you guys later!" Momiji waved before running off down the hall and to his classroom.

"Hey! Didn't I tell you guys to get in here?!" Mayuko shouted at the teenagers. "I bet it's your fault." Mayuko glared at Kyo as he walked into the classroom.

"Hey! How come _I'm_ your first suspect?!" Kyo grumbled. Tohru and Yuki followed Kyo into the classroom.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right? Rena Tsujitani, was it?" Mayuko asked. "Yes, that's my name. And this is Hatsuharu Sohma. He's a first year student, but I would like for you to bump him up to a second year student." Rena told Mayuko.

"Sorry, but I can't do that." Mayuko replied.

"Are you saying you're denying me of permission?"

"Basically. It's not like I have the choice or not. Take that up with the principal."

"Can't we make an arrangement?"

"Hmmm…Is he an idiot?"

"No…"

"Does he make good grades in his current level?"

"I guess…"

"Can he annoy Kyo?"

"I can do it better!"

"Can he, oh, let's say…transform into a Juunishi animal when a member of the opposite sex outside his family hugs him?"

"…O.O…"

"Just kidding. I was just testing you. No one can do that, right?"

"Y – Yeah, right."

"Okay….I'll let this Hatsuharu kid into my class….But first, he must…SYE HIS HAIR!!!!" Mayuko held up a box labeled, "Let's dye our hair pink with orange polka dots!!!"

"The likely hood of that EVER happening is zero against ALL odds." Hatsuharu said simply. "No way."

"….Can he dye his hair white instead?" Rena asked. "My hair's already white." Hatsuharu pointed out.

"I know, that's the point." Rena murmured. "Well, if he won't dye is hair, then I won't talk him in." Mayuko crossed her arms.

"Okay, uh, how about….I know, I'll do 5 times the work in your most advanced class for the rest of the school year." Rena suggested.

"You wouldn't survive 5 times the work." Mayuko snorted. "Wanna try me?" Rena grinned. "I'm much more determined than I look."

"Make it 10 times the work and we've got a deal!" Mayuko challenged. "You're on!" Rena shook hands with Mayuko.

"Are you seriously gonna do all that work just so that I can skip a grade?" Hatsuharu asked.

"You're then one who said you had to be in this class to protect Tohru and I, didn't you? And besides, it's no big deal. I've got magic on my side. This'll be a piece of cake. So you'd better work really hard in her class and pass so that I didn't stick up for you for nothin', okay Hatsu? Do your very best!" Rena grabbed Hatsuharu's wrist.

"Now, let's go! I'm ready to prove myself to Mayu-sensei!" Rena exclaimed. _"Are you going to prove how smart you are, or are you gonna prove how much magic you can use to help you cheat and make you look smart?"_ Hatsuharu said inwardly.

"Okay students, we have two new students joining our class, so be nice and let them introduce themselves!" Mayuko pointed to Rena and Hatsuharu.

_**"OR ELSE I'LL KILL EVER LAST ONE OF YOU AND FEED YOU TO MY PET."**_

"…Um, M-Miss Shiraki? W – What breed are you pets?" A random student asked.

_**"LET'S JUST SAY THAT IF YOU EVER LAY EYES ON HER, SHE'LL DEVOUR YOU BEFORE YOU COULD EVEN THINK ABOUT THINKING TO SCREAM."**_

"…."

_**-Silence-**_

"…Hi, my name's Rena Tsujitani and I'm 16 years old!" Rena waved, smiling with great enthusiasm.

"My name's Hatsuharu Sohma and I'm 16." Hatsuharu introduced himself with absolutely no enthusiasm.

"Hatsuharu, what the hell are you doing here?! It's bad enough that Rena's here, but why you too???" Kyo demanded, jumping up in his seat and yelling at the two while pointing an accusing finger at them angrily.

"And just what's that suppose to mean, Kyonkichi?" Rena crossed her arms. "It means you're and annoying little brat! AND DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!" Kyo hollered at Rena.

"I am not a spoiled little brat, you stupid cat! You're always so mean to me! What have I ever done to you???" Rena yelled back at Kyo.

"Should I start from the top or the bottom of my list?" Kyo retorted. "You harass me, you 'crash' me, you allow yourself to be brainwashed by that damn rat and that stupid snake, you don'[t listen to me, you're a pain in the neck, you're incredibly annoying, you're a brat, you're too spoiled for your own good –"

"How could you think so lowly of me?! I'm not any of those things, and I don't DO any of those things! And I certainly do NOT allow myself to be brainwashed by Yuki or Ayame!" Rena snapped.

"That's what you say now, but remember the time when you – " Kyo began, but was interrupted by Rena angrily commanding, "Crash!"

_**CRASH!**_

"Owch!!!"

"Crash! Crash, crash, crash, crash, CRASH!!!"

**_CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!_**

"OW! DAMMIT!"

"Don't make me have to embarrass you and further in front of your friends, Kyo Sohma!" Rena yelled at Kyo, turning her back angrily to him and crossing her arms with a 'humph!'

"They're not….my friends…" Kyo groaned in great pain, twitching within the small crater that had been created by Rena's cruel and ruthless crashing commands.

"Crash." Rena stomped her foot, forcing poor Kyonkichi to kiss the cold unforgiving ground once again.

**_CRASH!_**

"Ow… My head hurts…Damn you…Rena…You are the pain… in my life…" Kyo moaned, attempting to remove himself from ground again.

"Hey, that's a neat trick. Tell me, how'd you do that to Orangey over there?" Arisa Uotani asked.

"Yes. That is a most interesting method of punishment. Perhaps you should allow us to hear your secret." Saki Hanajima agreed.

"I am sensing very strange, yet somewhat positive, electrical waves coming from you. You did say your name was Rena Tsujitani, did you not?"

"Hn? Oh yes, my name's Rena Tsujita – " Rena stopped as she faced Arisa and Saki.

"U-Uotani-san! Hanajima-san!" Rena bowed her head quickly before Arisa and Saki.

_"I knew I'd see them sooner or later, but I did not expect to see Uotani-san and Hanajima-san in such a disgraceful and contemptible structure such as this one! What are such powerful and respected idols such as them doing here?!"_ Rena wondered.

"Uh…Did we tell you our names already or something?" Arisa scratched her head. "And what's with those polite suffixes? Hardly anyone ever calls me Uotani-san."

"No, but Honda-san has spoken much about the two of you to her." Yuki replied quickly. "Isn't that right, Tsujitani-san?"

"Oh, yeah. That's right, Yuki. I've heard much about you two. You're Tohru-kun's best friends. It's only natural for her to speak so much of you. Ha ha…" Rena laughed nervously, sweat dropping.

"You're over doing it." Yuki sighed, sweat dropping as well. "Cool. And you don't have to bow down to us, y'know." Arisa told Rena.

"It's not like we're royalty or of high authority or something. Call me Uo-chan. Or Uotani, if you can't even manage that."

_"If only you knew how wrong you are, Uotani-san."_ Rena thought."Oh! Uh, y…yes, Uo…Uotani…Sorry. It feels weird to not address with respect, because where I come from, you and Hanajima-san are – " Rena began, but Hatsuharu quickly grabbed her and covered her mouth.

"She means where she comes from, it's unacceptable to be impolite, especially to a stranger or someone of a higher rank." Hatsuharu added.

"Be quiet about that, will you? Are you trying to get committed.? You can't just start talking freely like that about our kingdom here. People'll think you're crazy." Hatsuharu whispered to Rena.

"I know, but it's been soooo long since I've last seen Uotani-san and Hanajima-san! It's weird to see them in a place like this! They're highly respected figures!" Rena whispered back.

"I know, but think about what you say first, okay Rena? You never know just who is watching. Akito could've sent a messenger, or possessed one of these students. Be more careful." Hatsuharu warned.

Arisa raised a curious eyebrow before placing her right hand on her right hip. "What are the two of you whispering about over there?"

"None of ya damn business, you stupid Yankee!" Kyo snapped. "Oh, Kyo. You're back. I guess Rena didn't punish you hard enough." Arisa looked down at Kyo, who was standing up with struggle.

"Kyo-bozu! Leave Uotani alone!" Rena ordered. "Who died to make you the boss of me? I'm not a squirt or a kid, so don't call me bozu!" Kyo hollered.

"Are you quite done yelling?" Yuki stick a finger in his ear. "You're very irritating."

"What did you just say?" Kyo demanded. "What, are you too stupid to even comprehend something as simple as that? You're. Irritating. Get it now, Carrot Top?" Arisa retorted.

"Don't get me started, Yankee. You don't wanna go there with me right now." Kyo growled, throwing him, Arisa, and Yuki into a three was glaring contest.

"Um, guys?" Tohru sweat dropped, attempting to call off the upcoming argument.

"Hatsu, when are we going to see Momitchi again?" Rena asked. "Probably either during break or after school." Hatsuharu answered.

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Rena looked back at her arguing friends with a smile. "You can feel the love in the air, just like the good ole days, can't you?" Hatsuharu leaned against the wall.

"Yeah…They always argued like that…Even in the future…I guess that goes to show ya – No matter what, in the Past, Present, or Future, Kyo-nii will still be Kyo-nii…" Rena replied.

_"Who would've thought I'd miss hearing Kyo and Uotani-san argue like this? I guess after losing even her and Hanajima-san to the Darkness…I'm relieved to see that they're alive and well."_ Rena thought.

_" But…For me…Miracles like these don't last forever. A time'll come when the Darkness tries to take them again. And I'll be ready this time."_

_"_Kyo-nii, why won't you and Uotani-san ever make up and be friends?" Rena teased.

"Yeah right. Why should I make up and be friends with that Yankee?" Kyo sneered.

"Wait one damn minute…DID YOU JUST CALL ME WHAT I THINK YOU DID???"

"Maybe…maybe not. I have my moments." Rena grinned. "Squirt." "What did I tell you about calling me that name?" Kyo hissed, his cat ears appearing.

"Settle down class! Now, I'm going to put you into groups of 2." Mayuko announced.

"Hanajima Saki and Kinoshita Minami, you two, work together!" Mayuko called out the first partners.

"Why do I have to work with Electro-girl? Why can't I work with Prince Yuki?" Minami whined.

**(Incase this seems a little weird to you, she's calling them out by their last names first. They do that in some anime)**

"Because you'd be too busy drooling to actually get any work done." Mayuko retorted.

"Higurashi Rikuu and Uzamaki Ai, Shinohara Rukia and Onigumo Muteki, Niwa Takayuri and Watanabe Orihime, Yamagata Migura and Ito Jinenji, Ushida Sakuya and Tamashii Kiba, Wada Keisuke and Yoshida Kanna, Yamagushi Mio and Honda Tohru, and, Tsujitani Rena and Sohma Hatsuharu."

"Did I get everyone?" Mayuko asked.

"No ya dumbass." Kyo crossed his arms.

"Ooops, it looks like I missed you three. My deepest apologies." Mayuko apologized to Yuki, Kyo, and Arisa.

"Well, since there's only you three left over, I guess you guys can work together!" Mayuko smiled brightly.

"…You're kidding, right?" Arisa and Yuki said in a fusion, their veins popping out of their heads.

"No way! No! I don't want to work with that damn Yuki OR that damn Yankee!" Kyo raged.

"We're not so happy about having to work with you either." Arisa and Yuki muttered.

"It's okay Kyo-kun, I'm sure you can do it!" Tohru smiled. "Who said I couldn't/' Kyo retorted, blushing a little.

_"Do I have to put up with these strange girls and listen to Kyo's complaints all day?"_ Hatsuharu wondered, shrugging away the teenage girls huddled around him and currently swooning.

_"Man…Today's gonna be a long day…I wonder what we're having for lunch…"_

**Me: And finally, here's Chapter 14!**

**SWD: It took long enough.**

**Me: Whatever.**

**Hatsuharu: I'm officially part of this story now.**

**Kyo: (sneers) Good for you, Cow Boy, but I was here since chapter number one.**

**Yuki: Baka Neko. Do you always have to be so annoying?**

**Me: My, my. I'm surrounded by sexy anime cousins. Pinch me, SWD, I must be dreaming…(swoons)**

**SWD: Now, now Christina. You don't have the right to swoon (smirks) You have a boyfriend.**

**Me: So what? The fact is, they're hot, and he's not! (gazes) I love Sohmas.**

**SWD: You Adulterer!**

**Me: Can't a girl swoon and drool over sexy anime guys?**

**SWD: Not one that already has a man!**

**Me: I can too! Can't I Rena?**

**Rena: Not involved.**

**Hatsuharu: Read and review please.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Me: Konnichi wa, hajimemashite! Atashi wa Chiisushina-chan desu!**

**SWD: …She said, 'Hello****, how are you? My name is Christina."**

**Rena: She doesn't know how to say 'ElementalGuardianProtector' in Japanese.**

**Me: Call me, **_**Lady **_**ElementalGuardianProtector.**

**SWD: Ah-ha, No.**

**Me: Meanie.**

**SWD: And proud of it.**

**Rena: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but me and this story**

**Me: ….Stop rubbing it in my face that I don't own the sexy Sohma cousins. You know just how much I love them.**

**SWD: This is going unreported by your boyfriend, EGP. I hope you know that.**

Chapter Fifteen

"Okay, if I have to be stuck with these two dumbasses, can I at least know why?" Kyo sighed, questioning Mayuko's decision.

"That's a good question, Kyo. Well, as you all know, it's very close to the end of the school year, which means EOCs!" Mayuko exclaimed as though it was a good thing.

As a response, the class groaned, each having hatred for the pieces of paper from hell **(That's what I call EOGs, EOCs, and Benchmarks. They're pieces of paper from hell. **_**HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLL I TELL YA!)**_

Well, that didn't include Hatsuharu and Rena. Rena didn't know what an EOC was, and Hatsuharu just didn't care.

"So to prepare you for the upcoming EOCs….I present you with your assignment!" Mayuko passed out a booklet that was at least 50 pages long to each group.

"Miss Shiraki, there's at least10 questions on each page! That makes this whole booklet about…500 questions in all!" Minami cried.

"I know. Isn't that cool?" Mayuko replied.

"Not in the least." Saki said bluntly, glaring at the booklet. "This devilish pack of paper stapled together contains 559 questions exactly."

"It has questions from every subject you've covered so far. You have a calculator and other items to assist you for help. And, you have all day and all this weekend to finish. Don't forget, you have a partner." Mayuko pointed out.

"Miss Shiraki, allow me to be the one to place a challenge. I bet you that Hatsuharu and I will be able to finish this before halfway through the day." Rena challenged.

"Another challenge, Rena?" Mayuko raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh yeah." Rena nodded her head, grinning.

"Alright, Miss Tsujitani, you're on." Mayuko accepted Rena's challenge. "Move your desks to where you and your partner is sitting side by side." Mayuko ordered.

The students moved their desks to where Mayuko further instructed, sitting in the organized manner that Mayuko ordered for.

"Let's make this more interesting." Hatsuharu raised his hand, planning to strike a deal with Mayuko.

"Let's make a small bet. If Rena and I are able to finish this whole packet before lunch time, then you have to give everyone an automatic A +plus, even if they haven't finished their booklets, and let us do whatever we want as soon as lunch period's over for the rest of the day."

"So you like striking deals and making bets too, eh Hatsuharu? Alright, fine then. You're both on." Mayuko replied.

"This isn't even going to b e fair." Rena said quietly to Hatsuharu. "We're much more advanced in technology than them and everything. This work is like child's play."

"So? A deal's a deal." Hatsuharu picked up his pencil.

"True. So we'd better take it a little slower then. We don't want Mayu-sensei to get too suspicious." Rena tapped her pencil on her desk.

"You may all begin." Mayuko sat down at her desk and began to read on of Shigure's tragic/romance novels. **(She's ****a big**** "fan" of Shigure's writing, you could say)**

"Damn! Look at how many questions there are! They all look so hard! This is gonna take way too much of my time!" Kyo griped.

"That's only because it requires thinking, which is something you seem to lack in, because you don't do it too often." Yuki retorted.

"I agree with the Prince. If you ever _did_ think, you'd have enough sense to at least _read _the problems before complaining that they're too hard, lazy ass." Arisa agreed,

"Who asked you, Yankee?" Kyo snapped. "I asked myself, and now, I'm asking you to shut up." Arisa replied.

"Boy do I hope Tsujitani-san and Haru win that bet." Yuki sighed. "I really don't want to do all this work."

"Me neither. And besides, if they finish, we get automatic A's! Which of course is a better grade than Orangey over here could ever get." Arisa propped herself up on one arm.

"There you go agreeing with that damn Yuki again. And are you implying that I'm an idiot?" Kyo's veins popped out of his head.

"Wow, for an idiot, you sure do catch on to things quickly." Arisa muttered, receiving a death glare from the Cat of the Juunishi

_**With Hanajima and Minami**_

"Stupid Uotani. She's sitting there all comfy and chatting with Prince Yuki while I'm stuck all the way over here with Electro girl. She's freaky AND anti social." Minami complained, muttering to herself.

"Don't call my friends stupid. Or else…" Saki slowly turned her head to look at Minami, a single strand of hair in the middle of Saki's head standing up.

Minami squealed in fear, falling out of her seat. "M-M-Miss Shiraki! Did you see that?! Hanajima's trying to electrify me!!!" Minami cried.

"What do you want me to do about it? I didn't see anything. Besides, better you than me." Mayuko replied, leaving a dumbstruck Minami.

"Well? What will it be?" Saki asked stoically.

Minami slowly her head back to Saki, pale faced and teeth chattering, only to be greeted by a demonic-looking teenager with the power of electricity and sensing waves.

"P- Please don't shock me!" Minami begged, her knees knocking as she sat back down next to Saki, expecting to feel an electric bolt running down her spine.

"Then I advise you to stop worrying about Uotani and Yuki, and to start worrying about finishing this assignment." Saki responded.

"Y-Y-Yes ma'am." Minami raised a shaky hand with her pencil in it, picking up on the assignment where she last left off.

"Now, Minami, is it?" Saki inquired.

Minami, stiffened with fear, nodded slowly.

"Do you know what the answer to number 1 is?" Saki asked the Yuki fan club member.

_**With Mio and Tohru**_

_"Poor Minami. She's stuck with__ Electro Girl. I feel sorry for her."_ Mio thought. _"Oh well. I guess I should be grateful I'm only stuck with Tohru Honda." _Mio looked at Tohru.

"So, how far have you gotten, Mio-chan?" Tohru asked her classmate. Mio sighed, shaking her head and getting back to work.

_"She's A LOT better than Electro Girl."_

"Oh-uh-O-okay, I see you're busy…You probably don't want to talk to me anyway, so I'll just…Oh…" Tohru sighed as well, getting back to work.

_"Uo-chan and Hana-chan look like they're working really hard on this. And so does Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun. I wonder how far Rena-chan and Hatsuharu-kun have gotten…" _Tohru thought, stopping to look at her friends.

_"They're hard-working, even if Uo-chan's glaring at Kyo-kun, and Hana-chan's picking up waves from Minami-san. And even though Kyo-kun's arguing with Yuki-kun again…"_

_"But still, they must be working hard. I know they are. So I'm gonna have to work really hard too. Just like Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, Uo-chan, Hana-chan, Rena-chan, and Hatsuharu-kun are. Then I'll surely finish!" _Tohru thought with confidence, getting back to work.

_**With Kyo, Yuki, and Arisa**_

"Dammit! What's the answer to this problem?" Kyo asked.

"Are you really stuck on that one? Man, it's so easy!" Arisa exclaimed.

"Okay then, Miss Smartass, tell me, what's the answer?" Kyo growled at Arisa, sick of her bragging.

"Not on your life." Arisa growled back. "Figure it out for yourself."

"Fine! I will! And I'll beat you and that damn Yuki!" Kyo sneered.

_"You'll beat me at what? Being the World's Most Idiotic Idiot? You beat me at that a __**LONG **__time ago!__" _Yuki thought, but knew better than say something to the baka neko now.

He had work to do.

And he wouldn't be able to concentrate if K yo started running his big ole mouth out at him.

_**With Rena and Hatsuharu**_

"Hatsu, what number are you on?" Rena asked the Ox of the Juunishi. "Number 143. I think I'm doing pretty good. It's harder than I expected." Hatsuharu answered.

"Me too. But still, this stuff is just too easy! It's a snap!" Rena scribbled more answers down onto her paper.

"Yeah…" Hatsuharu trailed off, slowing down a bit before eventually stopping. "…R…Rena?" Hatsuharu looked up.

"Yes?" Rena met Hatsuharu's emotionless gaze.

"You…You haven't told them yet…Have you?" Hatsuharu whispered, averting his eyes from Rena.

"…No, I haven't. You, The Yuki from the Future, and Isuzu are the only ones who know.'" Rena answered.

"…I'm worried that you'll lose it if you see Akito again. I'm worried about you. And Yuki." Hatsuharu murmured.

"Why do you say that?" Rena inquired.

"Because…Hatori…Your Hatori…Told me that Akito…Akito's attending our school. Starting today." Hatsuharu informed Rena.

"He's going to be enrolling as a senior in 12th grade classes." Hatsuharu picked up his pencil and began writing again.

Rena felt her heart miss a beat.

"So you mean…Akito's…Coming here?" Rena just barely whispered.

Hatsuharu shook his head. "No. He's already here. Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori know all about it. Didn't they tell you about it?"

"No. They didn't even try to mention it. Because they must've thought I'd been too afraid to leave the house." Rena replied.

"You know…you can't hide it from them forever." Hatsuharu told Rena bluntly.

"I know I can't. I'll tell them someday. Someday very soon."

"And you won't be able to run away from Akito anymore."

"I…I know that Hatsu, but…What else _can_ I do? I…I just can't beat him. He's too damn strong for me. No matter how hard I train…No matter how hard I fight…He always wins and I always lose."

"You'll get him one day. But maybe…Maybe somehow….Somewhere very, very, very, VERY deep down inside…You could find the strength to forgive him for everything. Then you'll not only beat him, but save him as well."

"No. After what he's done to me for the last seven years of my life, I'll never forgive him. Never! I…I hate his guts!" Rena spat with hatred beyond compare, only beginning her irate statement.

"I hate his total existence! I hate his damned parents for spawning him together and bringing him into this world! I hate anything and everything that has something to do with Akito Sohma! And he can just die and go to hell!"

"I wish he'd die! And I want him to suffer! To suffer a slow and painful death! I'll kill him with my own two hands! And that still won't be enough!"

"Rena…You can't mean that." Hatsuharu looked at Rena with shock. "I know Akito's put you through hell and back a couple thousand times, but that's just too cruel for a person like you to say. You can't mean it. You don't have the heart."

"Yes I do." Rena choked out softly, not wanting the others to hear her. "I mean all of it! Every last word of it! I hate him! I hate him so very much! I was born hating him, I grew up hating him, and I will _die_ hating him! I'll kill him! And then I'll kill myself! So that you'll all be satisfied, right?! If we're both dead, then no one will ever have to suffer again!"

"You're wrong Rena. We'd all suffer. Even more than you could ever imagine. Especially Ayame. He loves you more than anything in the world." Hatsuharu started.

"We all love you, Rena. You can't focus yourself on hating and defeating and killing Akito."

"Since you were a child, your life's evolved around Akito. So if you're always worried about making Akito suffer… …If you are in so much pain and your soul's filled to the brim with you hatred for Akito… Then tell me…When was the last time you let go of all those bad feelings and was actually happy? Have you ever truly been happy, Rena?" Hatsuharu questioned.

"You…you used to have a beautiful smile, Rena. It used to be so warm and bright and greeting. A real, happy smile."

"I haven't forgotten, Rena. Even if I am the only one who remembers your warmth. I've noticed that since that unforgiving day 7 years ago from tomorrow night…You haven't been smiling."

"You never smile. You're always faking. Because you lost the will 7 years ago. Because you let Akito steal away your warmth. Now, you don't smile for yourself, but you smile because you don't want to be a burden."

"You can't fool me, Rena. I've know you way too long. Even right now, you're not smiling. You're just scared. You're always scared. And I realize that deep down inside…The only emotions you could ever truly feel would be fear and hatred. Because of what Akito's done to you."

"Akito has messed you up mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He's tortured you for so long. And I'm sorry I couldn't stop it. So you have every reason to be mad." Hatsuharu

"You have every reason to hate Akito. I'm not saying that hating Akito is wrong. But setting you life on killing him one day in such a brutal manner… Making that your life goal and living only to hate him…That is wrong."

"You should waste your breath on him. I…We're all happy that you're still alive and with us. So why won't you be happy too and enjoy life? Before the little time you have left runs out?" Hatsuharu suggested.

"You talk like you know everything. Well you don't know _anything_, Hatsuharu. All you know is what you saw. And what you saw isn't even the beginning of it." Rena clutched her fist, feeling tears swell up in her eyes.

"Seven years. I've been tortured daily and hurt by Akito for 7 long years, And I…I can't take it anymore. I just want to runaway and never stop. To…Somehow escape him."

"But….But I know there's no way to escape. There's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Still…Even if there was…I could never. I have to protect Tohru-nee and Yuki-nii and Kyo-nii and Kagura-nee this time."

"And you, Hatsuharu. I won't let Akito hurt you again. And I won't let Kagura and Tohru and Kyo and Yuki die again. Not again. They won't leave me all alone again. I won't let them."

" Hatsu…Are you afraid of the dark? Well, I am. I'm terrified of the dark. It..It reminds me of the little room _he_ used to keep me locked away in for so long."

"For hours and hours I'd scream to be released, but he'd only laugh at me. He laughed at my weakness."

"I'm…I'm too weak to face Akito alone. I know that. And I'm too afraid to make the same mistake I made before. So Hatsu…Why would I tell _them _about it?" Rena murmured.

"Why would I tell the people I love the most about my own dark pain? About my own torture? That would only be selfish of me."

"And since I can't truly smile anymore…I want them to smile for me. I want them to laugh, to live. To be happy. So why would they love me if I only caused them pain? I'm too afraid to lose them again to get them involved like they should be."

Rena let h er tears fall, a sad smile pulling at her lips. "Hn. I can't keep doing this. I can't keep running away. It's like finding a piece of hay in a needle stack. It's almost impossible. He'll find me – that is for certain. And if I know Akito the way I think I do…He's only make the pain worse."

**(I know, the real phrase is, finding a needle in a hay stack, but I thought the other way around would be more challenging)**

"Don't cry, Rena. You don't have to do anything alone. You've got us, remember? I know you don't want to go through with it again, but…You have to trust us. We can help if you tell us how." Hatsuharu consoled

"Why do you always on doing everything on your own? You act like there's no one here for you! Stop living in the Future and live in the Present. Think about what's happening now and not what will happen then. Take it one day at a time!"

"You're so full of it Rena. We're getting sick of those secrets you're hiding in the dark! Brighten up a little, squirt. You're wetting my paper with your tears." Hatsuharu pulled his soaked paper away from Rena.

"So I am. That'll teach ya for bringing up this topic!" Rena laughed.

_"I'll learn to smile again, Haru." _Rena thought.

_"Even if it takes a year."_

"What did you get for number 275?" Hatsuharu asked.

"A.) x equals 45, y equals 23, and z equals 78." Rena answered. "What number are you on?"

"…Number 276." Hatsuharu answered.

_"No, even if it takes ten years"_

"I got C for that one Hatsu. What about you?" Rena asked.

_"I'll smile again. No matter how long it takes to learn. I'll smile, for all of you. Just like you all smile for me."_

"Do you even have to ask? We have the same exact answers. We're never wrong." Hatsuharu replied.

_"Thank you, Haru. You've always been there for me. You're always getting me back on track, and reminding me that as long as I'm surrounded by the people I love…And if those people love me back…"_

"I was just asking, Mr. Grouchy Pants!" Rena pouted. "You're so mean Hatsu!"

Hatsuharu shrugged. "I do try."

_"My heart will be warmed so much that it hurts, and those bad feelings will be conquered. So that I can do anything if I have the will."_

"Hey, Hatsuharu?" Rena looked down, blushing.

"Uh-oh. You used me whole name for once. What's up?" Hatsuharu asked.

"Thanks. For everything." Rena thanked the Ox of the Juunishi.

Hatsuharu blinked a few times with surprise before smiling. "Sure. Anything to get you to be quiet and stop sobbing all over my paper."

"And just what's that suppose to mean?" Rena's eyes narrowed, glaring at the Ox.

_"I can even become strong enough that Akito's bad feelings won't be able to reach me. So strong…One day. Because of you."_

"Nothing, Rena. Don't worry about it. You're ruining the moment." Hatsuharu patted Rena on her head like she was a puppy.

"You ruined the moment the moment you decided to open your big ole mouth." Rena slapped Hatsuharu's hand away.

"But I still thank you anyway. Not that you deserve it, though."

"Come on. Let's just finish so that we can rub this in Mayuko's face." Hatsuharu got back to work.

"…Alright, but you'd better not turn black on me." Rena warned the Ox. "Because if you do…You're personality's not gonna be the only thing black!"

"…Violent much?" Hatsuharu muttered, making sure he has out of Rena's hitting range.

**Me: And Ta-da! Chapter 15!**

**SWD: How exciting.**

**Me: First off, I would like to take time to thank my top reviewer – Kiki Lelsissia! I would be NOTHING without her! She's such an awesome reviewer!**

**SWD: (whimpers) W-What about me?**

**Me: (pats SWD on her head) It's okay, Half Sister. I still love you. Even if you're not my top reviewer.**

**SWD: (glares at EGP) Shut up.**

**Rena: Read and review please!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Me: Alright People, I'm FINALLY back!**

**Kyo: Jeez, what took ya so long??**

**Me: Well, other than the fact I haven't had my computer back from it crashing and needing to be fixed in over, oh , two months, and I needed to retype every single chapter I typed for my stories because all my work was deleted and I had to start over, AND because I had to wait for my Dad to reinstall the internet until I could even consider posting it, plus I can only really use the computer on Fridays and Saturdays, yeah, that takes a while. **

**Kyo: What about that other story you posted, huh?**

**Me: I was able to use my Dad's computer for awhile, and decided to type up the first chapter.**

**Kyo: (crossews arms with a grunt) Keh. Whatever.**

**Me: Start the chapter for us, Dear Yuki!**

**Yuki: I don't care how long you've been gone, EGP-san, don't call me that.**

**Me: (eyes water up) But Yuki-kun...I **_**MISSED**_** you!**

**Yuki: (sweat drop) That's nice, EGP-san.**

**Me: Didn't you miss me too, Yuki?**

**Yuki: Yes, of course I missed you EGP - **

**Me: **_**SAY YOU MISSED ME YUKI!! SAY YOU LOVE ME!! MISS ME YUKI!! LLLLLLOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEEE MEEEEEEEE!!**_

**Yuki: ...ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena and this story.**

**SWD: Oh, and by the way, EGP's sorry for the confusion, but since 9th grade is part of middle school in Japan, that means Hatsuharu and Momiji are in 10th grade and they're first years, Yuki, Kyo, Tohru, Arisa, Hanajima, and Rena are in 11th grade and are second yearstudents, and Akito will be attending 12th grade, as a third year student. Thanks!**

Chapter Sixteen

"Ooh Mayu-sensei!" Rena sang. "Don't call me Mayu-sensei! Call me, 'The Great Teacher, Mayuko'!" Mayuko responded. "And what do you want, Tsujitani?"

"I'm done!" Rena said happily, making Kyo anime fall.

"How can you be done?! There's like, 559 question in this thing! 559 very hard questions! AND THE FIRST HALF OF THEM AREN'T MULTIPLE CHOICE!!" Kyo exclaimed in bewilderment.

"And your point is? I'm done too." Hatsuharu said bluntly to Kyo."Okay, well, let me scan them and see if you're right." Mayuko took Rena and Hatsuharu's tests and left the room to scan them.

"How did you manage to finish so quickly?" Tohru asked."It's simple, really. Hatori-niisan used to make us learn all this stuff as little kids." Hatsuharu told Tohru. "It was hard back then, but now, it's a snap."

"Wow. That's harsh. And strict. Not to mention downright cruel." Arisa muttered. "Tell me about it." Rena groaned.

"But that still doesn't explain how you finished so fast." Kyo crossed his arms.

"Oh, let's just say... With the help of some force of magic." Rena winked at Kyo, grinning._"She didn't dod what I THINK she did... Did she?" _Yuki thought. "You mean you fixed your pencils with magic so that you could write the answers faster?" Yuki inquired.

"Something like that." Rena replied."You! You're a lying cheater!" Kyo pointed a accusing finger at Rena, yelling at her from across the room.

"Nuh-uh. The deal was if Hatsu and I could finish before lunch and do five times the work, everyone would get A's and do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day. And Hatsu could stay in the 11th grade." Rena explained her bet with Mayuko, proving that she wasn't technically defying any sort of rule.

"But you used magic!" Kyo exclaimed.

"You can't prove that." Rena retoered.

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!" Kyo cried.

"Kyo-bozu, lighten up. Don't you want extra free time AND a free A?" Rena asked.

_"She has no shame. Not in the least."_ Yuki thought, sweat dropping.

"Don't call me a squirt." Kyo growled, orange flames surrounding him. "Eeeek! Kyo-chan's scary!" Rena exclaimed, imitating Shigure.

"Quiet." Kyo growled again at Rena.

The classroom door swung open and there was Mayuko, on her hands and knees with Rena and Hatsuharu's test papers in her hands, her long bangs covering her eyes.

"They... They didn't miss a single one... They got... All of them right... That... That's never happened before... They got perfect scores... Perfect!" Mayuko murmured, depressed.

"I'm a failure as a teacher! Two mere children outsmarted _my_ very own test! And one of them are suppose to be in tenth grade! TENTH!" MAyuko cried.

"Mmmm-mmm-mmm. That poor, poor woman." Yuki shook his head, feeling kinda sorry Mayuko.

"That's right, we outsmarted your test! We won the bet! Now Hatsu gets to keep his hair white and stay in the eleventh grade! And, everyone, including ourselves, get A's AND get to go anything we want after lunch time for the rest of the day!" Rena told Mayuko, very proud of herself.

"No you didn;t outsmart her. You didn't even win fair. You cheated." Kyo mumbled under his breath.

"I don't know how this happened..." Mayuko trailed off. "...But... A deal's a deal's

"Ughhhh..." Arisa moaned, clutching her stomach. "God dammit, I'm hungry!" Arisa kicked Kyo, sending him flying across the classroom. "Uo-chan, what's wrong?" Tohru asked.

"Need... Food... So... Hungry... Ughhh..." Arisa groaned.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THA T FOR?!" Kyo blared, making his way out of the pile of desk he crashed into.

"I'm hungry, you stupid ass! Didn'tyou hear me the first freakin' time?!" Arisa snapped.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN KICK ME!! YOU WANNA KICK SOMETHING? THEN KICK THAT DAMN YUKI!!" Kyo raged.

"Don't bring me into your meaningless nonsense." Yuki said calmly, not caring to take part in this conversation.

"Sure it does! Beating on you's the only thing that distracts me when I'm hungry!" Arisa retorted.

Kyo grabbed Arisa by the collar her shirt and Arisa grabbed Kyo by the collar of his shirt, both giving one another a death glare and fire in the background.

"You're lucky you're a girl, ya damn bitchYankee!" Kyo hissed. "Otherwise I'd beat you senseless!"

"Oh, am I suppose to be thankful? Am I suppose to be scared?" Arisa retorted.

"Uh, oh, um, guys?" Tohru tried, her eyes turning into swirl and totally freaking out.

"It's so hot in here! Who set the classroom on fire?!" Rena complaining, the room being filled with flames from Kyo and Arisa's anger.

"I'm going to turn up the Air Conditioning." Hatsuharu walked to the themostat.

Mayuko sighed, picked up a bucket of ice cold water and threw it on Arisa and Kyo, making their flames of anger disappear, but only pissing them off even more.

"Whew! Thank goodness they stopped! If they had keep them flames on for another second, I would've called the fire department and request that they cool these hot heads down!" Rena exclaimed.

"Rena, do you even _know_ the number for the Fire Department?" Hatsuharu asked. "Um-hm! One - One - Nine!" Rena answered.

"Uh, Tsujitani-san? You have the number backwards." Yuki sweat dropped.

"She doesn't get out much." Hatsuharu explained."Truthfully, the only place she's been where there's normal people is the Diner, the Market, and here."

"So you mean... So doesn't interact with many people outside of the Sohma Family?" Yuki asked.

"Hatsuharu nodded. "She tries not too. She's too afraid to."

"Why?" Yuki inquired.

"It's the Tsujitani Curse." Hatsuharu was about to explain, but was interrupt by Kyo shouting, "Why the hell did you do that?!"

'Because I'm not gonna pay the damage of school property being put on fire." Mayuko replied, still holding the bucket over her shoulder. "Please refrain from doing that. Setting my classroom on fire is off limits."

"If you want to flame things up, do that _outside_ my classroom please. Thank you."

"You heard the lady." Arisa jerked on Kyo's orange hair. "Let's finish this outside."

"Let go of me before I wring your scrawny little neck!" Kyo shouted angrily.

"You can't. I'm a _girl, remember_?" Arisa taunted Kyo.

"Lunch Time!" Mayuko annouced to her class.

Arisa threw Kyo aside and charged out of the door in determined mode. "Screw all of you, I'm gettin' me some food!" Arisa called back, leaving everyone in her dust **(literally. laugh)**, them watching her while sweat dropping.

"She's... Eager..." Rena trailed off.

"Well... Everyone else, line up and follow Uotani-chan before she kills someone for the school lunch." Mayuko sighed.

"Forget linin' up. she's strangling President Takei for his lunch!" A random student exclaimed.

_"Nice choice."_ Hatsuharu, Yuki, and Kyo thought in a fusion.

"Let's go save Uotani-san from being explelled!" Rena suggested. "C'mon Tohru-kun, Hanajima-san!" Rena gestured for the two girls to follow her.

"Oh! Uh, Coming, Rena-chan!" Tohru hurried after Rena. "Of course. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't bail Uo-chan out of trouble?" Hanajima replied.

"Come on Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun!" Tohru called for the boys. "You too, Hatsuharu-kun!"

_"Okay, but to we __**HAVE**__ to save Mokoto?" _Yuki, Kyo, and HAtsuharu thought, walking wit hRena, Hanajima, and Tohru to get Arisa.

"After lunch, we should play lots of games. Like Dai Hin Min (Rich Man, Poor Man) . And Badminton. And Ping Pong." Hatsuharu suggested.

"Don't forget dodgeball. _Then_, we've got a deal." Kyo frinned.

"That's a great idea!" Tohru exclaimed. "Let's do it!"

"Yes, let's." Hanajima agreed.

"Hn? What's that?" Rena asked.

"What's what?" Yuki inquired.

"Dai Hin Min, and badminton, and ping pong, and dodgeball. What are thoose games?" Rena asked.

"Tsujitani-san, do you really not knwo what those games are?" Yuki asked in disbelief.

Rena shook her head. "Nope. I've never played before in my life. But back when we were all kids, you and the others used to play stuff like that, I guess."

"You poor child." Kyo shook his head. "You haven't lived until you've played dodgeball!" "You only feel that way because _you_ usually win." Hatsuharu muttered.

"Now, now Haru. Don't be a bad sport!" Momiji popped up out of nowhere.

"MOMIJI, YA DAMN RABBIT, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Kyo yelled ,hitting Momiji for suddenly appearing and surprising him.

"Uwahhhhh! Kyo's hitting me! Kyo's hitting me! UWAHHHH!" Momiji whined, crying. "Momitchi-kun!" Rena hugged the tomgirl.

"Rena-hime!" Momiji hugged Rena back. "And Hanajima-miko!" "Hanajima-miko? I'm not a priestess. And Rena's not a princess." Hanajima responded.

"No she's not. Rena's nowhere _NEAR_ a princess. The farthest thing from it." Kyo muttered under his breath.

("Hey! I am too a princess! A good one, at that, you bully!" Rena crossed her arms, overhearing Kyo's comment.)

"Not _yet_ you aren't." Momiji touched Hanajima's forehead, a small white light coming from his finger and reviving her memories of the Future.

"Hana-chan, do you remember anything now?" Tohru asked. "You know, Tohru, you shouldn't really ask that. Since you, Kyo, Yuki, and Kagura don't remember yourselves." Hatsuharu said blunty.

"Yes, I do remember the Destined Future. But Princess... Do you not think we should revive Arisa's memories? Before tomorrow?" Hanajima asked the Supreme Princess.

Rena nodded. "Yeah. I'll remember to cast a spell on her at lunch. With my spell and Momiji's help, I'm sure well bring back Arisa's memory in no time. She's as stubborn as a mule, y'know."

"You're a witch, Rena." Kyo grumbled. "Casting spells on people..." "Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you, Kyo-bozu!" Rena smiled, stars in her eyes twinkling.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! AND QUIT BEING SO DAMN HAPPY! YOU'RE ALMOST AS BAD AS TOHRU!!" Kyo barked at Rena.

"W-W-What's wrong with me? Did I do something wrong?!" Tohru asked, panicking. "No! That's not what I meant." Kyo sighed.

"Oh... Well, Momiji-kun, how were you able to do that? Revive Hana-chan's memory of the Destined Future?" Tohru inquired.

"Oh, that's easily! Well, you see, Tohru-kun... I'm the Guardian of - " Momiji negan happily, but Hatsuharu covered Momiji's mouth, silencing him.

"No Momiji. Not here. Not with all of these... _girls_ following us..." Hatsuharu looked around to see a crowd of girl slowly floating behind them with hearts for eyes.

"The Sohma Fan Club." Kyo rolled his eyes. "Ugh" "There's so many of them... But how did they get those hearts where their eyes are suppose to be? It's a mystery..." Hatsuharu trailed off.

"More like they're love sick dogs." Kyo grumbled.

Rena threw a picture of Kyo at the girls, who began to battle one another to the death for it.

"OH, it's Kyo! K-YOOO!

"He's mine! Mine! ALL MINE!!"

"Let go of that picture, you horny slut! Kyo-kun's mine for the taking!"

"IN YOU DREAMS! GIVE ME THAT DAMN PICTURE!"

"Is Kyo-chan... _SHIRTLESS??_ Now I _REALLY _want it even MORE!!"

"KAWAII!! IT'S KYO-SENPAI!!"

"K-YOOOOO-KUUUUNNNNN!!"

"Ugh." Kyo wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They're so annoying. They remind me of Kagura. _**NICE**_ versions of Kagura."

"Yep. This is the Sohma Fan Club you speak of. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken that of Kyo shirtless if they weren't." Rena turned away from the fighting girls.

"Wha -- Where did you get a picture of me from And to add on to that... Where the hell did you get a picture of me _shirtless_?!" Kyo cried.

"I had Ayame take a picture of you this morning while you were sleeping." Rena explained. "So that's why that damn snake was in my bed this morning. He fell asleep on the job!" Kyo growled. "I'll kill him."

"I must say thought, I agree with those girls completely, Kyo-kun." Rena turned to face Kyo.

"You're pretty cute. Especially when you're sleep. Not to mention shirtless."

_-- A LONG silence--_

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.

.

**(Everyone turned into those white figures. You know, like they do in the anime and manga when they're being very silent and they go white. I guess you could say they we turning pale or something)**

"What did you just say, Tsujitani-san? You're not really serious, are you?" Yuki asked, disgusted. "I think I'm gonna hurl..." Kyo turned slightly green, pressing his hand against the wall and leaninf inro ir, covering his eyes with his other hand.

"Of course I'm just joking! I was just seeing how you'd react!" Rena laughed." "WELL THEN DON'T DO THAT, 'CAUSE IT'S DISGUSTING!" Kyo's eyes glowed.

"But really, you'er somewhat attractive, Kyo. No, I take that back. You're _really_ cute. Who knew you'd have such a nice build..." Rena trailed off.

"I SAID QUIT IT!" Kyo snapped. "Why? Are you _afraid_ of what I'm thinking about you right now? I was just thinking you're getting so much stronger, and you've got the body to back that statement up." Rena moved closer to Kyo.

"But you thought I was thinking something _perverted_, weren't yoou? You were thinking that I, being a girl, would let my imagionation get the best of me. You thought I had my mind in the gutter. One, don't flatter yourself, and Two.. Let me ask you something, Kyo-kun..."

"Just because a flower bloom, does it means it is pretty and smells nice Just because a baby is born, does it mean it is cute and harmless? Just becasue I compliment you... Does it mean I meant anything by it? Does it mean I was even telling the truth?"

_"Now she sounds likeHiro." _Hatsuharu thought. "Would you shut up! You sound like that damn smart ass punk Hiro!" Kyo shouted at Rena.

"Just because I outsmarted you, does it mean I have to be Hiro?"

"Rena..."

"Oh, and just because you tell me to, does that mean I have to _listen_ to you?"

"I'll punch you in your punk ass mouth if you don't!"

"Fine. Go ahead. Then I'll just charge you with _**child abuse**_."

"You're not a child, _stupid_!"

"Technically, yes I am, because I'm _under_ the age of eighteen._ STUPID._"

"Now, now children. We shouldn't argue." Hanajima interrupted Kyo and Rena's pointless babble.

"K-YOOOOO-KUUUUNNNNN!!"

Kyo's head jerked up. "Oh no... I'd recongnize _that_ call from anywhere!" Kyo whimpered. "It's... _her_." "K-Yo!" Kagura ran up to Kyo.

"Oh hell! It IS her!" Kyo panicked, running. **"KYO DARLING, COME BACK TO MEEEE!!**" Kagura began runnign even faster, getting crazy.

Before Kyo could get too far, Hatsuharu grabbed Kyo's head and threw hum into Kagura, Kagura hugging hims tightly and calming down.

"Why you -- !" Kyo shot Hatsuharu the dirtiest looks know to mankind. "You should be so rude to Kagura-nee." Hatsuharu shrugged. "She'll hurt us if you do.".

"And besides, Kyo, I went to Shigure-nii's house, and he said that you were here at school, so I came here to fing you, because Gure-nii didn't want me to break his house." Kagura explained.

"Shigure...!! That... Traitor! He sold me out to protect his house! HIS DUMB, STUPID, CRAPPY HOUSE! That little rat!" Kyo hissed angrily. "I mean, dog."

"Kyo, lighten up. It'll be fun to have Kagura-chan here with us." Tohru smiled brightly. "Yes, my dearest Kyo. It'll be fun." Kagura hugged Kyo even tighter, if that's even possible.

"Fun for you, hell for me." Kyo choked.

"Hey... Aren't we suppose to be doing something right now?" HArsuharu asked. "I... I don't remember...!!" Rena trailed off. "I could've sworn it had something to with Uotani-miko..." Momiji trailed.

"Something to do with Uotani, Mokoto, and lunch..."

_**-Silence-**_

"OH NO! UO-CHAN! AND MOKOTO!" Tohru freaked out. "Don't worry about Mokoto too much, Honda-san." Yuki assured Tohru.

"You don't have to. Let's just get Uotani-san." "But before that, let's let her slaughter Mokoto." Kyo priced his way out of Kagura's embrace."

"Onward, to Uo-chan!" Momiji pointed forwarddramatically. "Shut up you damn bunny." Kyo snapped.

**Me: There you have it! Chapter 16!**

**SWD: Read and review please!**

**Kyo: Hey! You didn't even let us talk! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Me: Sorry for another delay. Me and my idiotic self sccidently deleted this chapter, so I have to type it ALL OVER again. (sigh) How depressing...**

**SWD: Cheer up, EGP.**

**Me: (shakes head) This remake copy won't be like the original copy I typed, y'know? Things'll be... Different... I even had a REALLY funny a/n note...**

**SWD: ...Well, while EGP's having a depressing moment, Hatori, you start the chapter!**

**Hatori: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters, ideas, and this story.**

**Me: ...I'm so very disappointed in myself... How? How could I do something so... Stupid? How... Why... Why me?**

**SWD: ...I think we'll need to call Momiji in here in a minute to play the world's smallest violin for us...**

Chspter Seventeen

"Hey guys, what took you so long?" Arisa waved at the group. "Uo-chan, um... What did you do with Mokoto-senpai?" Tohru asked the female Yankee.

"Ummm... Who's that?" Rena poitned to Mokoto, who was lying unconsciously in the far corner of the cafeteria, covered in what looked like blood.

"That, would be Mokoto." Hatsuharu told Rena. "I gues that answers both of your stupid questions." Kyo mumbled, referring to both Tohru and Rena.

"But why is he covered in blood?..." Yuki blinked a few times. "It's a mystery..." Hatsuharu trailed off. "Or maybe that blood-stained pipe in Uotani-san's hand has something to do with it..."

Momiji walked up to Mokoto and stuck his finger into the red substance, examining it closely. Eventually, after looking at it carefully, Momiji popped the red substance into his mouth, receiving a disgusted look from the whole group.

"...Hey... This isn't blood..." Momiji tasted his mouth, walking back to the others. "Eh?! Then what is it?!" Tohru asked. Momiji wipe some of the red stuuf off of Uotani's metal pipe and sniffed it.

"...Mokoto-senpai isn't covered in blood... He's covered in... Ketchup?" Momiji furrowed his eyebrows. "This pipe is stained with really old blood, but it's covered with ketchup. Fresh ketchup."

"Uotani-san... Why is Mokoto-senpai covered in ketchup? And why is he unconscious?" Rena asked. Arisa just grinned. "Oh, uh, no reason. C'mon Tohru! Sit down! I even got everyone's lunch for them!" Arisa grabbed Tohru's hand.

"They're having a special today! Shougayaki with soumen and odango!"

The next thing you know, Hanajima was sitting down in front of Arisa with a plate full of odangos and Hatsuharu with a plate full of shougaykai, both eating and cherishing every little bite.

"...So what took you guys so long?" Arisa asked as the other teenagers sat down as well. "We were attacked by the Sohma Family Fan Club, Uotani-san!." Rena told Arisa.

"Mmm-hmm! Four different fan clubs consist within the Sohma Family Fan Club!" Momiji began, standing up with a pointing stick in his hand and the background changing into a slideshow with pictures of himself, Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Kyo.

AboveKyo's picture were the words, 'Kyo Sohma Fan Club', above Yuki's picture was 'Prince Yuki Sohma Fan Club', above Hatsuharu's picture was 'Hatsuharu Sohma Fan Club', and above Momiji's picture was 'Momiji Sohma Fan Club'.

"First, there's the Kyo Sohma Fan Club." Momiji pointed to Kyo's picture. "Lots of grirls like him." "Yep! And _I'm_ the president!" Kagura exclaimed.

"You're not serious." Kyo groaned. Oh, but I am! See?" Kagura showed Kyo a golden badge labeled, "President of the Kyo Sohma Fan Club: Kagura Sohma."

"Oh great." Kyo rolled his eyes, hitting his head hard against the table, miserably. "Next, there's the Famous Prine Yuki Sohma Fan Club. We ran into them right after the Kyo Sohma Fan Club finally left." Momiji pointed to Yuki's picture.

"Then, there's the Hatsuharu Sohma Fan Club. After the Yuki Fan Club left, the Hatsuharu Fan Club showed up and stole on of his chains and Haru went black on them, because he actually lost his temper with them for once.

"And finally, the last and best club of all time... The Momiji Sohma Fan Club! All together, they form the parts that make up the Sohma Family Fan Club!: Momiji finished, the background still there.

"Momiji, you stupid brat, what the hell are you trying to pull off? The _Momiji Sohma_ Fan Club?!" Kyo jumped up into the background with Momiji, shaking his fist while hollering at the Rabbit of the Juunishi.

"The _Momiji Sohma_ Fan Club? What the hell is up with that?!" Kyo yelled at Momiji. "Wha? What's wrong with my club?" Momiji demanded.

"IT'S STUPID!" Kyo snapped, pulling out a red marker and in front of the words 'Momiji Sohma Fan Club', he wrote the word 'Anti' making it say 'Anti-Momiji Sohma Fan Club.

"Now that's more like it." Kyo closed the red marker and put the cap on it, looking satisfied.

"WWWAAAHHH! Kyo called my club stupid!" Momiji whined. "Kyo! Don't say things like that!" Rena jumped into the background with Momiji and Kyo as well.

"Well, it's the truth! How many girls would actually like _him_?" Kyo mumbled. "How many girls _wouldn't_ like Momiji-kun? He's just to cute and adorable! I love him so much!" Rena squeezed Momiji, hugging him tightly.

"...Okayyy, back to reality please?" Arisa interrupted, the background disappearing and the three teens sitting back down to finish their lunch.

"Okay, so, who are there two?" Arisa asked Tohru. "The boy's name's Momiji and the girl's name's Kagura... Right?" "Right! o-chan, Hana-chan, this is Momiji-kun and Kagura-chan, and Kagura-chan and Momiji-kun, this is Hana-chan and Uo-chan!" Tohru introduced the 4 teens, forgetting that some of them where already acquaintanced.

"Nice to meet ya." Arisa greeted them. "And, Kagura-chan and Momiji-kun are part of the Sohma family." Tohru added.

"WHAT?! No freakin' way! How many _more_ Sohma could possibly be lurking around this school? Soon enough, the whole entire _world_ will be overthrown and ruled by the Sohmas!" Arisa exclaimed.

While Arisa babbled on and on about the Sohma Family dominating the world, Rena began to chant a magical spell. A white sphere of light began to be formed in the palm of Momiji's hand.

The more Rena chanted, the larger and brighter the sphere grew within Momiji's hand. Everyone, except Arisa, who was still stuck on the 'Sohmas taking over the world' thing and didn't give them the least of attention, watched with interest.

Finally, Rena stopped chanting, and the bright, medium-large sphere floated slightly in Momiji's hand

"Rena, what the hell are you doing?" Kyo demanded. "Um, Uotani-san? You have something on your forehead." Momiji pointed at Arisa's forehead.

"Eh?! Where?!" Arisa touched her forehead. "Right here." Momiji aimed the sphere at Arisa'a forehead, a beam of light shooting out of it and into Arisa's forehead, reviving Arisa's memories of the Destined Future.

"You know, kid, that was a dirtytrick just to awaken my momory." Arisa huffed. "I know. I get it from Kyo." Momiji replied. "Of course. I should've known." Arisa glared at Kyo.

"Hey! Don't go blaiming everything on me!" Kyo retorted. "Anyway, before we came here, we were thinking about having a little celebration this afternoon." Yuki started up a conversation.

"Yeah, and we should play lots of games! Like Dai Hin Min, Dodgeball, Badminton, Ping Pong and Volleyball!" Momiji exclaimed.

"Okay, but can you guys show me how to play?" Rena asked. "Sure Tsujitani. I'll show you how to plau Dai Hin Min, Orange'll show you how to play dodgeball, Hana-chan'll show you how to play Badminton, The Prince'll show you how to play ping-pong, and Tohru'll _try_ to show you how to play volleyball. If she doesn't kill herself in the process." Arisa smiled at Tohru, who flushed with embarrassment.

"I'll help Tohru teach Rena-chan volleyball!" Momiji exclaimed. "And I'll help Yuki teach Rena ping-pong." Hatsuharu saud with much less enthusiasm.

"Thanks! Thoes games really sound fun! I'll glad you're willing to teach me." Rena thanked her friends. "But... What will we play first?"

"Maybe you should decide, Tsujitani-san." Yuki suggested. "Ohhh... Okay... Let's see...Let's play Dai Hin Min first, then ping-pong, then dodgeball, then badminton, and then volleyball." Rena told the group.

"Um, uh, if... If you guys don't really mind or anything... I think we should... Give out prizes to the winner?" Tohru murmred, blushing.

"I think that's a great idea, Honda-san." Yuki smiled. "Thanks, Yuki-kun. And... Um... Would it be okay if... If I could be in charge of that? With Kagura-chan?" Tohru asked hopefully.

"Of course you can, Honda-san." Yuki replied. "Great! And we should prepare snacks and have us a little picnic!: Arisa exclaimed.

"Kyo and I can do that!" Rena raised her hand. "Huh? Why me?" Kyo griped. "Because, silly, you can cook really good!" Rena responded as if Kyo was stupid not to realize that for himself.

"Why don't you let _Momiji_ help you? I'm sure _he'll _be _much _a better help than I would." Kyo grumbled. "Excellent idea! I'll write all of this down!" Rena pulled out a notepad and pencil from her pocket and began to scribble the things nessecary for the cekebration down.

"Okay, so the games that we're going to play are Dai Hin Min, ping-pong, dodgeball, badminton, and volleyball; Kagura and Tohru are in charge of giving out prizes to the winners of each game; Momiji and I will make the foods, what else/' Rena looked up.

"I'll find a shady spot for us to sit after we finish playing and set up the picnic area there." Hatsuharu spoke up. "Yes. And I will retrieve the beverages." Hanajima volunteered. "I'll make them myself."

("And _WHY_ do I have the sudden urge not to drink those beverages?" Kyo mutttered under his breath.

"That's great! Thanks you guys!" Rena added this onto her notepad. "Um, but... What are we going to call this celebration?" Tohru asked.

"...Ooh, ooh, let's call it... The Super Duper Fun Day Extravaganza!" Momiji suggered eagerly. "No way! That's a retarded name!" Kyo sneered.

"I like it!" Rena, Tohru, and Arisa chorused, making Kyo anime fall. "The Super Duper Fun Day Extravaganza." rena wrote down. "What will we do after the Super Duper Fun Day Extravaganza is over?"

"If we have time still, we could go over to Hana-chan's house after school, if Hana-chan doesn't mind, I man." Tohru looked at Hanajima.

"No. I don't mind at all." Hanajima told Tohru. "You may all come to my home. You're _all_ invited." "Great! Now we've got everything planned out for this celebration!" Kagura clapped her hands together.

"You mean you're staying?" Kyo groaned. "Yup?" Kagura nodded her head. "Damn." Kyo droned. "Too bad Gure-nii can't be here." Kagura sighed.

**"NO. WE DON'T WANT THAT PERVTED BASTARD ANYWHERE NEAR US."** Kyo and Yuki growled in fusion.

"Aw, come on! Let's invite Ame-nii, Shii-chan, and Tori-nii!" Rena tried to reason with the boys.

**"HATORI'S ALRIGHT, BUT NOT AYAME OR SHIGURE. **_**HELL**_** NO TO AYAME OR SHIGURE, OR EVEN BOTH! ESPECIALLY BOTH!!"**

"But... but... but..."

**"NO. HELL NO."**

"They're right Rena. Besides, they're probably busy doiong something stupid anyway." Hatsuharu pointed out. "Hey Momiji, are you sure you can come with us though?"

"Um-hm! I'll just use my powers to suppress my teacher's powers, and she'll never know that I wasn't in class!" Momiji said jovially.

"Um, Momiji, don;t make it a bad to do things like that. It's not good." Yuki sweat dropped. "I can;t believe you. Using you powers for evil. Have you no shame, you stupid little bunny?" Kyo shook his head.

"But he's so cute, he can get away with it!" Rena hugged Momiji. "You're just as bad as that damn bunny!" "Of course I am. Do you wanna know _why_?"" Rena asked.

"No. Kyo said bluntyl. "It's because... I was born in the Year of the Rabbit just likt Momiji-kun!" Rena exclaimed.

_"I could've sworn I said I didn't want to know..." _Kyo thought. _"And didn't she tell us that when we first met her anyway?" _

"Momitchi and I have our very own club! The Bunny Society!" Rena and Momiji jumped and winked, making the peace sign and behind them was a dark pink background full of white bunny heads.

"The Bunny Society is open to everyone and anyone in the public. Our onlu requirement is that you were either born in the Year of the Rabbit, or, like rabbits. So since we ask so little of you... JOIN THE BUNNY SOCIETY TODAY!" Rena held out a membership card.

"It's totally freee!" Momiji added. "What? Who the hell are you guys talking to anyway?" Kyo demanded. "To all the people who want to join the Bunny Society, of course!" Rena replied.

"And if you are too young and can't manage to say the words Bunny Society correctly, and you're below the age of eight years old, you might want to join Bunny Babes first." Momiji informed.

"...Okay, WHO are they talking to?" Arisa raised a curious eyebrow. "I do not know, Uo-chan, but they sure do seem to be having fun." Hanajima pointed to Kyo, who was currently chasing Rena and Momiji back and forth through the bunny background.

"COme back here you damn rabbits! Let me wring your scrawny little necks!: Kyo ran after usagi(s).

**(When you are writing in Romanji Japanese - That means english letters spelling the japanese words instead of the symbols/characters - do you just add an 's' to the end of the word to make it plural? Or do your use the same rule as in our language system of writing when writing in Romanji Japanese?)**

"No way! You're trying to join our club, and this is an Anti-Kyo club!" Rena and Momiji laughed as they ran away from Kyo.

"Grrrr... GET BACK HERE YOU BRATS!!"

"NEVER!!"

"I'll catch you! And when I do, you're gonna be in a world of pain and hurt! Especially you, Momiji!"

"Not if I can help it! Crash Boy!"

_**CRASH!**_

"OW!! DAMMIT RENA!!"

"HA HA HA HA HA! Kyo got in trou-ble!"

"You're gonna be the one in trouble when I regain feeling in my legs, Momiji!"

"Stupid Cat. GHetting all worked up about nothing." Yuki mumbled under his breath. "I know. He's such an idiot." Arisa agreed. "Hey, Tohru, do you want your odangoes?"

**Me: Nice little chapter, right?**

**SWD: (nods without really paying any attention with her eyes glued to her computer screen) Uh-huh.**

**Me: (tries to glance over her shoulder) What're you going, Sylphy?**

**SWD: (Blocks computer screen) Er, uh, nothing.**

**Me: (looks at her suspisiously) You're up to something. And the only reason I won;t try to find out is because you'll hit me REALLY hard.**

**SWD: (looks at me with offended eyes) Me? I would NEVER do something evil like that. Cross my heart and hope to - **

**Kyo: (yells from literally a mile away) WHO THE HELL KEEP EMAILING ME AND THREATENS TO KIDNAP ME AND LOCK ME AWAY IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL SHRINE FOR THEIR OWN ENTERTAINMENT TO LOOK AT MY... SEXYNESS?**

**Me: (crosses arms and raises an eyebrow) - Die?**

**SWD: (shrugs and does her best not to grin)**

**Tohru: Hi guys!**

**Me: Hey Tohru! It's been a while since you've showed up in the a/n notes, hasn't it?**

**Tohru: Yeah... Read and review please!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Me: Are you people ready for the next chapter?**

**SWD: No.**

**Me: (glare) Gee, YOU'RE supportive.**

**SWD: (shrugs) I try.**

**Me: Well, to get to the point already, Hatori, start the chapter!**

**Hatori: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters, ideas, and insanity.**

**Me: Yep!**

Chapter Eighteen

"Come on Tohru! Let's go! We're going to start The Super Duper Extravaganza Fun Day!" Momiji pilled on Tohru's hand. "I'm coming Momiji-kun, I'm coming! But first, I need to ask Yuki-kun something. " Tohru began with a laugh.

"Yuki-kun, can you please help me - "

"Hold it right there, Tohru Honda!"

Both Tohru and Yuki turned to she Motoko Minagawa, Minagawa Kinoshita, and Mio Yamagishi. **(I wonder where the OTHER one that's always with them is. You know, the nameless girl...)**

"Oh no. Not these idiots again." Arisa groaned. "Don't you dare lay a filthy hand on Prince Yuki! And you have no right to call him anything _**BUT**_ Prince Yuki!" Motoko began lecturing Tohru.

"Oh, um, I - I'm so sorry, Motoko-senpai! I'm sorry if I offended you!" Tohru apologized. "Don't try to act all innocent now!" Minami snapped. "Yeah! We know all about your plan to steal Prince Yuki away with the help of your evil witch friend!" Mio pointed accusingly at Tohru.

"Man, these girls are _really_ asking for it, aren't they?" Kyo muttered. "They get on my damn nerves. It's the same lecture every single day, and if a waste of my damn time."

"Prince Yuki belongs to all of us! You can't just hog him for yourself! Just who do you tihnk you are?!" Motoko yelled at Tohru.

"Hey1 Cut it out! Leave Tohru alone! She said she was sorry, so be one your way, you morons!! Why can't you realize Yuki don't love _any_ of you?!" Arisa barked.

"And just who the hell do _you_ think _you_ are, yelling at Tohru-hime like that?! How dare you, you ungrateful peasants!No one speaks to Tohru that way! NO ONE!" Rena yelled back at the girls.

"Peasant?! Why the nerve!" Minami fumed. "Um, Tsujitani-san? This isn't the 31st century, you know." Yuki sweat dropped.

"I don't care! No one messes with Tohru-hime! And no one annoys you, Yuki-tono, execpt me, Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, and the Sohma family! That's _OUR_ job! Lord Yuki does NOT belong to you or me or _anyone!_ He's not a piece of property! He's a living being!" Rena scolded Motoko, Minami and Mio.

"How dare you talk to us like that, you low classed fool! We love Prince Yuki! We can't allow him near that witch! We have to protect him!" Motoko exclaimed.

"You claim that you love Lord Yuki, do you?" Rena asked. The girls nodded. "Yes. Very much." "Keh. Then tell me... If you truly do love him... If you truly care about his feelings... Then why are you trying to take his friends away from his? Why are you trying to control him?" Rena inquired.

"To love someone is to care about them and wish for their happiness above all others. Even yourselves. You don't know what poor Yuki-kun's been through. You couldn't even begin to understand his pain."

"Yuki-kun _never_ smiled before he met Tohru-kun! _Never_! He was _always_ alone and so unhappy growing up! He's finally found meaning in his life, a reason to smile! Tohru's his light! He's hopes and dreams! She was the only one able to free his soul! The only one able to free him from the darkness of theat small room and to make him breathe again! So if you truly love Yuki-kun like you say you do... Why are you trying to take Tohru away from him?" Rena demanded.

"Is it because you're jealous? Are you jealous of Tohru? Are you jealous because she has the one thing you can't have? If that's so, and you claim you love Yuki, then you don't know the _meaning_ of the word love!"

"To love someone is to be ready to give everything up for them and even die for them just so that they can live and be happy! It doesn't mean to control how the people you_ think_ you love thinks and who he hangs out with! What makes him happy! All the three of you know is jealousy and bitterness!"

"Rena," Hatsuharu whispered. "Love. I've heard that word used for the wrong meanings so many times, it makes me want to hurl. Anyone can say they love someone else, but it takes the special understanding of that word for someone to truly mean it! What you feel for Yuki... What you're trying to do to him... Is _forced_ love!"

"You're trying to _force_ him to love you! You're taking away everything _he_ loves and wants and replacing it with something else that will force your fake love upon him! Your so called love to Yuki is nothing but a silly burden! He has more to do in life than to run away from stupid girls like the three of you who waste your time chasing someone you can never have!"

"You don't truly love Yuki. A fake love, maybe even a silly crush, but not love. Because if you _did _love Yuki... You'd want him to be happy. Even if that meant losing him to another girl. If you love him, trhen it's about _Yuki_ being happy and _Yuki's _needs and _Yuki's_ wants - No yours!"

"Ane-san, you don't know a damn thing about the _real_ Yuki Sohma! The _real_ Yuki Sohma is anything _but_ a glamorous prince living a carefree and awesome life! If you knew the _real_ Yuki Sohma... You'd now he hates being toyed with."

"He _hates_ being controlled and forced to do something he doesn't want to do. He _hates _being trapped alone in the dark, and he _hates_ more than _anything_ to be used as a tool, a lifeless... _thing._"

"I can't even begin telling you about the _real_ Yuki Sohma. Because if I did... You'd all cry. So instead of forcing your love on him... Why not try to spend time with Yuki? To get to know him for who he really is and becoem friends? Then maybe somewhere down the road, maybe, you'll really understand the meaning of love and truly be able to say you love him."

"Would any of you kill for Yuki? Well, I wouldn't. I'm not ready to kill for him. I'm ready to _die_ for him. For him and Tohru and Kagura and Momiji and Hatsuharu and even Kyo. It's becauseI love them all so much."

"So don't force love on people. It only hurts you and them, in the end. Make your love a reality. If you truly love Yuki... Then you'll know how. But stop annoying him, okay? It's irritating for him and the others to watch this routine everyday. And lay off of Tohru. Okay?" Rena finally finished.

"That was quite a little speech." Kyo muttered. "...Why you little... How dare you lecture ME like THAT? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! Talking to ME likt that?" Motoko blared.

"Hmph. I see. So you're just like the old Kyo. You shut your eyes and block your eyes. You refuse to hear and see the truth." rena murmured.

"Fine. Don't listen. Figure it out for yoursleves. But I'm warning you... If you come to a realization of it instead of believing me... It'll hurt _a thousand_ times worse for you to be forced to accept the facts than for you to just believe me and take my advice. You all should just give up on Yuki. He has no interest in any of you that way, and he never will." Rena looked at the girls darkly, creeping them out.

"We;;. come one Momiji-kun, Tohru-kun! You too Yuki-kun! On to the Super Duper Extravaganza Fun Day!" Rena grabbed Tohru and Momiji's hands and walked off down the hall with them.

"Wait, come back here! I'm not done with you!" Motoko called after Rena. "Sorry, I can't do that! You'll have to be a Bunny Society Memeber before I can _ever_ talk to you again, so you shpuld join! There's always room for a few more members!" Rena left the Prince Yuki Fan Club Members.

"_Again_ with the stupid bunnies!" Kyo ran after Rena, Tohru and Momiji. _"It was nice of Tsujitani-san to stick up for me like that... But... I wonder what Honda-san had wanted to ask me..."_ Yuki wondered as he began to walk.

Hatsuharu, Kagura, Arisa, and Hanajima hurried on. "Wait! Prince Yuki... Was that girl... Was that stupid girl... Was she right? Everything she said... Was it true?" Motoko asked.

Yuki smiled sadly at Motoko. "Minagawa-senpai... I hope we can be friends one day soon. Just... Friends." Yuki waved before leaving as well.

--

"Mayu-sensei?" Rena called for Mayuko. "What is it, Tsujitani?" Mayuko groaned. "Can Kagura-chan and Momiji-kun join us? Can they spend the rest of the day with us?" rena asked.

Mayuko looked at Momiji and Kagura, studying them closely. "Oh _please_ Mayu-sensei! You _have_ to let me stay with my beloved Kyo-kun! You just _have_ to!" Kagura hugged Kyo, making him fall to the ground as she jumped on him.

"No she doesn't! She has to let YOU go HOME and annoy SHIGURE!" Kyo tried to pry Kagura off of him, him holding her hands up by her wrists and sticking his leg up between them while she tried her hardest to pounce on him again.

"Yeah, and you just _have_ to let Momitchi stay! He's _sooo_ cute! How can you say no?" Rena hugged Momiji tight, the both of them giving Mayuko great big puppy doy eyes.

"The puppy dog eyes don't work on me. Sorry." Mayuko said blunty. Rena and Momiji frowned in a fusion. "But I do love watchinf Kyo-kun and Kagura's-chan's love quarrels." Mayuko smirked.

_"Love Quarrels?"_ Kyo cried in bewilderment. "I don't like Kagura! I hate her!" "I love you too, Kyo." Kagura towered Kyo, her eyes glowing as she began to beat on Kyo.

"Awww... Sweet isn't it? Well, I can't say no to _that_, so... Ah, what the heck? Kagura and mOmiji, you're welcomed in my classroom at any time." Mayuko grinned.

"NO! YOU EVIL, DEVILISH WOMAN! WHY DO YOU DO THAT?! "Kyo screamed, still being assaulted by Kagura.

"I didn't want to get in thw way of you and Kagura's love." MAyuko replied. "LOVE?! WE HAVE NO LOVE!! ONLY PAIN!! LOTS AND LOTS OF PAIN!!" Kyo yelled.

"Oh Kyo-kun, you're so mean." Kagura slapped Kyo. "I'M MEAN?! YOU AND YOUR FIST ARE THE MEAN ONES!!" Kyo retorted.

"Um, Kagura-nee, I think you should stop." Hatsuharu attempted to stop Kagura's wrath upon Kyo. "You're scaring all of our male classmates away..."

"Okay, so there's only 5 hours left in school." Rena started up a conversation. "Only 5? Get real. Can we realy play 5 games, give out prizes, make snacks and beverages find a shady spot, AND have a little picnic before the school day ends?" Arisa asked.

-Silence-

"HECK YA WE CAN!: Arisa and Rena cheered, giving each other a high five. "BOO-YAH!" "Well, I suppose that means we have to start now if we expect to finish." Hanajima said to the group.

"Okay! Let's do it!" Momiji jumped up happily. "Bunny Scouts, solute!" "Would you give that Bunny Scouts thing a rest?!" Kyo glared at Momiji.

"Eh? But why?"

"BECAUSE IT'S STUPID!"

"WWWAAAHHH! KYO'S BEING MEAN!"

"SHUT UP YA DAMN RABBIT!!"

**Me: Chapter 18, complete!**

**SWD: Read and review please!**

**Me: Oh, and by the way, the suffix insert name here - tono means 'Lord'. The suffix insert name here - dono comes from the suffix tono, but means a ranking and respect higher than Master. So for exanple : Yuki-tono Lord Yuki, Yuki-dono Um... Well... A higher respect of Mater Yuki. Got it?**

**SWD ...**_**NOW **_**read and review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Me: Good day, and welcome back to another chapter of Dark Secrets!**

**Rena: Are we going to play Dai Hin Min now?**

**Me: (rolls eyes) Yes, yes. Patience, my dear child. But I have a question... If The game is called Rich Man, Poor Man, and Dai Hin Min only means poor man... Dai Fugo means Rich Man... If the real name of the game... Dai Hin Min, Dai Fugo? (Or Dai Fugo, Dai Hin Min?)**

**SWD: (shrug) I dunno. That's actually a good question...**

**Kyo: (sighs inpatiently and crosses his arms) Are we gonna start this thing or what?**

**SWD: (agrees with Kyo) Kyo's right. We should hurry up and start the chapter.**

**Me: All of you, have patience. Jeez.**

**Rena: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

**Me: Hey! (mutters) I could've**_** sworn **_**I saud to be paitent...**

Chapter Nineteen

"These are the cards used to play Dai Hin Min." Arisa began to tell Rena as everyone sat down. "The object of the game is to get rid of your cards as fast as you can."

"Only a max of seven people can play so... Who will and won't play?"

"Hatsuharu and I won't play then. Is that enough?" Kagura asked. "Let's see... There's Rena, me, Tohru, Hana-chan, Yuki, Kyo, Momiji... Yep! That's just enough! Thanks you guys!" Arisa thanked the two juunishi members for willingly dropping out of the game.

"The game is played clockwise. All the cards are dealt out. Some players may have one more than others. The suits are irrelevant and the cards rank, from high to low with deuces high: 2 A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3. Jokers are wild."

"This is how you play: The player to the dealer's left, that's you, Rena, starts by leading face up any single card or any set of cards of equal rank. For example. three fives. Each player in turn must then either pass or play face up a card or set of cards which beats the previous play."

"A single card is beaten by any higher single card. a set of single cards can only be beaten by a higher set containing the same number of cards. So for example, if Kyo played two sixes, Hanajima coukd beat that with two kings, or two sevens, but not a single king and not with three sevens, though you could play two of them and hang onto the third one."

"It's not necessary to beat the previous play just because you can - passing is always allowed. Also passing does not prevent you from playing the nest time your turn comes around."

"The play continues as many times around the table as necessary until someone makes a play which everyone passes. All the cards played are then turned face down and out to one side, and the player who played last, and highest in the previous "trick" starts again by leading and card or set of equal cards."

"For example, the play might go: Tohru leads with a pair of fours. Kyo follows with a pair of sevens. Momiji passes. Hanajima follows with a pair of tens. Tohru passes. Kyo passas. Kyo plays a pair of Jacks. Momiji passes. Hanajima passes. Tohru passes. Kyo then starts again by leading any card or set." Arisa paused for a minute.

"Do you get it so far?"

"Ummm... I think so..." Rena said slowly.

"When a player whose turn it is to play has no more cards left, the turn passes to the next player in rotation. Therefore in the eample, if thw two Jacks were Kyo's last two cards, he would sit out the rest of the round and it would then be Momiji's turn to play anything." Arisa continued.

"Jokers are wild and are equal in rank to whatever card they are played with. For scoring purposes, whoever goes out first gets 2 points, second out gets one point, and the rest of the players get no points."

"There are other rules, variations, and social status', but you don't need to learn them on your first time playing. Oh, and one more thing... A revolution." Hanajima slightly grinned.

"One of my favorite plays. If four of a kind are played, it is called a revolution. When this happens, the rank of cards is reversed, From that point on, lower values now trump the higher values until there is another revolution. For more turmoil, you can also switch the ranks of players. And when someone makes a revolution... It's also possible for you to make a counter revolution, if you have the right cards."

"Any questions?" Arisa and Hanajima asked in a fusion. "Uh... Um... No. Not... Really..." Rena's eyes became confused swirls.

"Good." Arisa began to deal the cards. "Let's make this interesting... The Dai Hin Min (poor man) has to give the Dai Fugo (rich man)... fifty dollars."

"You're on, Yankee!" Kyo grinned, more on the evil side though. "I'll be happy to see _my_ fifty doallars coming out of _your _pockets! Cash please, no checks."

"Let the games begin!" Tohru exclaimed. "I can't wait until that damn rat and damn Yankee cough up fifty dollars. Each!" Kyo smirked.

"In your dreams." Yuki and Arisa sneered.

"Kagura-nee... Can you please step outside the classroom with me for a minute?" Hatsuharu asked Kagura as the group of teens began to play their game.

"Huh? Oh, sure, Haa-kun." Kagura blinked a few times in suprise. The Ox and the Boar of th Juunishi walked outside of the classroom.

"Have you heard anything about Akito-san, Kagura-nee?" Hatsuharu asked his cousin. Kagura shook her head. "No... I haven't. Why?" Kagura inquired.

Hatsuharu sighed deeply. "Akito-san... Is suppose to be attending this school. As a third year student, a 12th grader. In order to get closer to Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, Tohru, and Rena. Right now, mainly Rena. He'll probably targeting Yuki somehow as well."

"W... What? Akitoi-san's coming... To this school? But... As late in the school year it is... How can he be allowed? There's only a few more months. How is he ever gonna catch up on the work?" Kagura asked. "Rena-chan's a smart girl. I'm sure she'll be able to catch up. But Akito-san? Wen the last time he stepped in a classroom or was taught anything new?"

"If he chooses... And if he doesn't become too sick... He can be a third year with Rena, Tohru, Kyo and Yuki. And chances are... If he does... He'll end up in their classes. What a better way to get close to them, right?"

"...Akito-san... Has everything planned out... Doesn't he? This way... He can keep in eye on Kyo and decide when to confine him... He can terrorize poor Yuki... He can hurt Tohru-kun and try to ward her away from the Sohmas... And... He can take Rena-chan back as his slave. He's in a win-win situation." Kagura whispered.

"But why is Akito-san going through all this trouble? Just to get to Rena-chan?"

"Rena-chan means everything to Akito-san. She is the Supreme Princess, after all. And Tohru-kun... Is the Purity Princess. Their power is essential to The Darkness and The Dark Lord. As well as the World's Demise." Hatsuharu replied.

"The Darkness... Is quickly spreading over these lands, Kagura-nee. I can feel it. And we have to do something about it. Before it's too late. And this world suffers the same fate our world did."

**-Change in POV-**

"Good morning class. Today, we have a new student. Mr. Sohma, please introduce yourself." The tacher called on her new student.

Akito slowly stood up and walked to the front of the classroom. He was wearing black pants and a thin black turtle neck. Akito brushed his black bangs out of his eyes slightly, and smiled warmly at his class.

"Oh my goodness! He looks so much like Yuki-kun!" A few girls began whispering amongst themselves.

"He's like, a Dark Prince Yuki!"

"He's just as handsome as Yuki-kun!"

"It's almost like he's Yuki-sampai's twin!"

"Hello. My name is Akito Sohma. How are all of you doing today?" Akito greeted his calls. "Um, Sohma-kun?" A random girl raised her hand.

"Hn? Yes?" Akito turned to the girl. "Um... You wouldn't be related to... Yuki Sohma, or Kyo Sohma, or Momiji Sohma, or Hatsuharu Sohma in anyway... Would you?" The girl inquired shyly.

"Why yes, I am. Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, and Hatsuharu are all my cousins." Akito replied. "Cousin? You're Prince Yuki's cousin?" Motoko asked with shock. "No wonder you share such a strong resemblance with him! You're just as handsome a Prince Yuki himself, as impossible as that is!"

Akito smiled. "Thank you, classmate." Akito turned to his teacher. "I'm glas to be a part of this class, and I feel very welcomed here. Arigatou, sensei." Akito bowed.

"Would any of you happen to know who Rena Tsujitani is?"

"Yeah, I think she's a new second year student in Mayuko-sensei's class. " Another random student answered.

"Excellent." Akito grinned. _"I can't wait until this is all over. Being nice to all these idiots is sickenign me. And this classroom is fulled with so many pathetic women... I don't know how long I'll be able to stand this. I hate women." _Akito thought.

_"But it'll all be worth while when I'm finally able to get to Rena. Come out, come out wherever you are, Rena. You can run, but you can't hide. I'm coming after you."_

"Sohma-kun, please take a seat now so that we can begin class." The teacher told Akito. "You may sit wherever you like."

"Yes, sensei."

**-Change in POV-**

"WHAT? WHAT KIND OF CIRTY TRICK WAS THAT?!"

"IT'S NOT A TRICK, YA DUMBASS YANKEE, IT"S HOW YPU PLAY THE GAME!"

"NO WAY! YOU CHEAT!"

"NO I DON'T!!"

"YES YOU DO!!"

"Um, guys? You shouldn't get to loud." Tohru tried to stop Arisa and Kyo's arguement. "You shouldn't try to stop those two, Honda-san." Yuki told Tohru.

"You're only wasting your breath. Let them go at it."

"You know what, Tohru and the Prince are right." Arisa leaned back in her seat. "There's no reason to for us to argue. The game isn't over yet. This is the final round, and it must be treated with - "

"Revolution!" Hanajima held out her cards. " - Delicacy." Arisa finished her sentece. Everyoen looked for a set of cards to beat Hanajima's revolution.

"Does anyone have something to counter my attack?" Hanajima asked. "...No." Tohru sighed. "I don't have anything." Yuki put down his cards. "Me neither." Momiji begin to make card houses with his cards.

"You know I'm done for when it comes to your revolutions, Hana-chan." Arisa leaned back in her seat. "Dammit." Kyo threw his cards in the air.

"Does no one have anytihng to play? If so, then that means everyone passes and I have w - "

"Ah-ha! Counter Revolution!" Rena held up four sevens to counter Hanajima's four fours. "Beat that!" Rena smiled in triumph.

Hanajima put down her cards with a small smile. "Impressing, Rena. I pass." "Oh. Okay." Rena put he rcards down. "Now what?"

"No way! She got four sevens and played a counter revolution! That... That isn't possible... I just lost to... _Rena_! A stupid _bunny_ girl!" Kyo's right eye twitched violently.

"That's so great, Rena-chan! You won!" Tohru congratulated Rena. "Yay! Rena-chan won!"Momiji exclaimed. "Thanks you guys. And none of you have to pay me fifty dollars. Only Kyo does." Rena smiled brightly at Kyo.

"WHAT? That's not fair!!" Kyo cried in bewilderment. "Make that damn rat pay!" "Relax, relax. I only kid, dear Kyo." Rena laughed.

"That wasn't funny." Kyo grumbled. "Okay, next is ping-pong! According to Yuki-kun's calculations, this game should onoly last for about eight rounds. If there's a tie, they'll be nine rounds, but no more than ten rounds." Tohru announced. "Hatsuharu-kun, can you please set us up?"

"Sure." Hatsuharu came back into the classroom with Kagura after hearing his name be called and pulled out the ping-pong table, along with handing the ping-pong paddles to Rena and Momiji.

"You two are up first." Hatsuharu told the two 16 year olds. "Right!" Momiji and Rena nodded. "Tsujitani-san, the object of this game is to hit the ball. Don't let it hit the floor and don't miss it." Yuki told Rena.

"But, you also have to make sure the ball bounces off of the table and over the net before you can hit it again. Make sure you don't hit it too hard. That'll help you."

"Okay, I got it. Thanks, Yuki-kun." Rena thanked the Rat of the Juunishi. "Okay now, let's play!" Momiji bounced the little white nall on the table and hit it with the paddle. Rena watched the ball and let it bounce before she hit it.

Back and forth, and ping-pong ball went between the two bunnies innocently. "You're pretty good at this, rena-chan." Momiji complimented Rena, smacking the ball.

"You're good at this too, Momiji-kun." Rena smacked the ball back at Momiji. "You learn fast. "Momiji slapped the ball. "I'm not gonna let you win this round, Momitchi! No matter how cute and adorable you are!" Rena slapped the ball back.

"Oh well. I guess I'll have to use my... Super Duper Bunny Ball Swing Attack!" Momiji hit the ball extra hard, it racing at Rena with super fast speed.

Rena squealed and ducked, dodging the ball and it missed her just before it could knock her head clean off her shoulders. "Yay! I win!" Momiiji cheered.

"Go Momiji! That was a cool move!" Rena hugged Momiji. "You won! I'm so proud of you!" _"She just lost and yet she's cheering that little brat on?" _Kyo thought.

_"She clearly has a different method of losing than most." _Yuki thought, sweat dropping with a smile. "Now that's what you call good sportsmanship." Arisa crossed her arms. "Something _you _don't have, _Orangey_."

"Shut up." Kyo growled.

"You played really good too, rena!" Momiji smiled. "The first roundwinner is Momiji Sohma! Next up, Momiji Sohma vs. Tohru Honda!" Hatsuharu announced.

"I won't go easy on you either, Tohru." Momiji informed the onigiri. "I didn't expect you to. Show me all you've got!" Tohru replied as she determinedly took the paddle from Rena.

"Be careful Tohru! Momiji's really good!" Rena warned Tohru. "I'll do my best!" Tohru walked up to the ping-pong table.

"GO TOHRU! GO MOMIJI! YOU BOTH CAN DO IT! GIVE IT YOU ALL! YAY TOHRU-KUN, YAY MOMIJI-KUN!" Rena cheered the opponets on.

"There aren't any cheerleaders here, so quit that!" Kyo snarled at Rena. "Kyo, leave Tsujitani-san alone. Let her have some fun. She's not going anything to you." Yuki crossed his arms.

"Honestly, you get irritated over the stupidest of things." "Shut up, girly man! No one askewd your damn opinion!" Kyo retorted. "I'm not going to argue with you now. I won't ruin their fun." Yuki shut his mouth.

"... Damn rat." Kyo mutttered before falling silent, seeing that Yuki refused to argue back at him.

"Here I go! Get ready Tohru!" Momiji bounced the ping-pong ball on th table and smacked it. Tohru raised her padd;e to hit the ball, but before she could, the ball hit her square in the forehead, knocking her down.

"Tohru?! Are you?!" Momiji rushed to Tohru's side. "Tohru! Honda-san!" Rena and Yuki rushed to Tohru as well. Kyo watched Tohru with a concerned expression that he tried vainly to hide.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry... About me..." Tohru muttered, her eyes replaced with swirls and a red mark imprinted from the ping-pong ball on her forehead.

"You're such a klutz Tohru. Jeez." Kyo rolled his eyes. "Oh, Um, I'm - I'm s-sorry, Kyo-kun!" Tohru apologized quickly." "No! Don't apologize! Just be more careful next time!" Kyo exlciamed.

"The second round winner is, once again. Momiji Sohma. Up next is Momiji Sohma vs. Saki Hanajima!" Hatsuharu informed. "Her you go, Hana-chan!" Tohru stood up with Yuki's help and handed the ping-poing paddle to Hanjima.

"Thank you, Tohru." Hanajima thanked Tohru. "Now, bunny boy, this is were you finally meet your downfall." Hanajima turned to Momiji, setting her pabble down on the table.

"Not if I can help it!" Momiji bounced the ball. "Super Duper Bunny Ball Swing Atttack!" Momiji smacked the ball as hard as he could, the ball racing fast at Hanajima.

Before the ball could come anymore than three inches away from Hnahajima's face, it suddenly turned around and raced back at Momiji three times as fast.

"I got it!" Momiji held up his paddle to hit the ball, but instead of it being sent back at Hanajima, it zipped right _through_ the paddle, leaving an empty cicle in the center of were the ball had gone through.

"How... How did you do that?" Yuki asked in aghast. "Whoa." Momij examined his paddle. "What the hell?" Kyo looked at Momiji's paddle.

"Do you r_eally_ want to know?" Hanajima slowly turned to look at Yuyki, Kyo, and Hatsuharu. "No..." Kyo trailed off, beginning to be creeped out be Hanajima.

"Good." Hanajima slowly turned back to Momiji. "... The third round winner is... Saki Hanajima... Next up is... Saki Hanajima... vs. Arisa Uotani..." Hatsuaharu finally managed to say, snapping out of his state of shock.

"...Rena-chan, let's go to the kitchen and start making the snacks while we're waiting!" Momiji suggested, taking Rena's hand. "That's a great idea Momiji-kun! Let's go!" Rena let Momiji lead her away into the kitchen.

"Alright Hanajima, let's see who's gonna win this round." Arisa grinned. "Yes, let's." Hanajiam replied with a small smile. "Uotani-san and Hanajima-san... First we need a new paddle." Hatsuharu reminded the girls.

"And a new ping-pong ball...

**-Change in POV-**

"Here we are!" momiji exclaimed,showing Rena around the large kitchen. "Wow... I don't knwo where to being... Heck, I don't even know what we should make!" Rena looked around the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I made a list of things we can make!" Momiji handed Rena a list of food. "Okay, let's see what this says..." Rena read the list:

_--Snacks to make for The Super Duper Fun Day Extravagonza--_

1.) Kuzumochi

2.) Odangoes

3.) Ume Konbu

4.) Chocolate Riceballs

5.) Chocolate Ice Cream

6.) Chocolate Chip Cookies

7.) Chocolate Brownies

"Why so much chocolate?" Rena asked. "Because, you can never have too much chocolate!" Momiji answered. "Do you want to make_ all _of this?" Rena asked in bewilderment.

"Yes! ALL of it!" Momiji grabbed Rena's arm eagerly. "Okay, okay Momiji." Rena laughed. "We'll do it. But this will take awhile..."

"Look, there's odangoes in the refridgeratoer and choclate ice cream in the freezer!" Momiji opened the refridgerator and the freezer.

"Are you sure we can just take it?" Rena inquired. "Um-hm! I'm sure they won't mind as long as we don't use all of it!" Momiji puleld out a large cooler, filled it wit hice at the bottom, and started putting ice cream comtainers in it.

"... Okay, so we can check odangoes and chocolate ice cream off of the list. What will we make next?" Rena inquired. "Chocolate Riceballs!" Momiji exclaimed.

"Um, okay, you get the Riceball Maker ready and I'll start melting the chocolate." Rena instructed Momiji. "Aye, aye, captain!" Momiji soluted before running to the riceball maker and filling it with rice.

"How many should I make?" Momiji asked. "Hmmm... Well, there's you, me, Tohru-kun, Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, Kyo-kun, Kagura-chan, Yuki-kun, and Hatsuharu-kun, which makes nine..." Rena began counting.

"And I want to save some for Tori-nii, Shii-chan, Sensei. Ame-chan, and Hanajima-san's little brother, Megumi-kun, when we go to her house, and that makes fourteen and all... But I want there to be enough so that everyone can have at least three choclate riceballs for now and later..."

"Let's make 42 chocolate riceballs!" Rena exclaimed. "I'm on it!" Momiji began making the rice balls. "And while you're doing that, I'll get the Ume Konbu out of the refridgerator, cross that off the list, and start making the kuzumochi!" Rena told Momiji.

"No, let's make the kuzumochi last! I wanna help you make that!" Momiji told Rena. "Okay, then I'll make the chocolate chips cookies and brownies while I'm waiting after I melt the choclate." Rena changed her choice of cooking order.

"Alright! Bunny Scouts Rule!" Momiji and Rena slapped palms with one hand and made the peace sign with the other.

**-Change in POV-**

"And the fourth round winner is... The one and only... Arisa Uotani!" Hatsuharu shouted dramatically. "Yes! Boo-yah!" Arisa cheered.

"Good game, Hanajima. I really thought I was gonna lose for a second there!" Arisa shook hands with Hanajima. "Yes. I was almost certain that you were going to defeat me." Hanajima told Arisa.

-Silence-

"...But she DID beat you..." Yuki trailed off. "Next opponets... Arisa Uotani vs. Kyo Sohma!" Hatsuharu pointed at the two hot tempered teens.

"Oh yeah. _This_ is more like it." Arisa grinned. "I'm gonna take you down, Yankee!" Kyo snatched the paddle from Hanajima.

"In your dreams, cat boy!"

"I'll take you down right here and now! Then we'll see who's dreamin'!"

"Obviously you if you think you can beat me!"

"I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back, ya damn Yankee!"

"Ah, what nice waves whirling around in the air..." Hanajima murmured to herself, satisfied. "Um, is anyone actually ready to s_tart_ the round?" Yuki sweat dropped.

"I say those two will be arguing for about... Oh... another hour or so." Hatsuharu sat down. "You should really kick back and relax, Yuki. Kick your feet up and watch the show." Hatsuharu began reading a book.

"...Where did you get that book, Haru?" Yuki asked the Ox of theJuunishi. "Hm? Oh this? It's one of Sensei's novels. It's called - "

"_**I DON'T CARE WHAT IT'S CALLED. BURN IT."**_

"...Can I at least read it first?"

_**"NO. BURN IT NOW."**_

"..."

**-Change in POV-**

"I've got the chocolate melted , Momiji! And the chocolate chip cookies are almost done baking." Rena told Momiji as she sat down a pot full of melted Hersey chocolate.

"I'm almost done, Rena-chan. I'm on my thirtith rice ball." Momiji told Rena, continuing to mold the riceballs. "You're pretty good at shapign rice balls, Momiji. Much better than I am, I'll tell you that much. And you're pretty fast too." Rena watched the Rabbit of the Juunishi

Beep!

Beep!

Beeeeeeeeep!

"That should be the cookies. I tihnk they're done. I'm really glad we were able to find chocolate chip cookie mixture in the cabinets. It saved a whole lot of trouble and time." Rena put on her oven mittens and pulled the pan of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven.

"Thirty-seven... Thirty-eight... Thirty-nine... Forty... Forty-one... Fourty-two! There, I'm done! Forty-two original flavored riceballs!" Momiji wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "Phew! And it only took about 30 minutes!"

"All fifty-six of the chocolate chip cookies are done baking." Rena told Momiji, pouring the cookies into jar and placing a tray full of chocolate brownie mixture into the oven to bake.

"Let's dip the riceballs now." Momiji finished washing his hands and set out foil. The young rabbit grabbed two of the riceballs and dipped them into the warm melted chocolate until they turned from white to dark brown and placed the on the foil.

"Here. I'll help you with that." Rena grabbed a riceball.

As soon as Rena and Momiji were half way done dunking the onigiris into the melted chocolate, Hanajima walked into the room.

"Oh, hello Hanajima-san!" Rena greeted Hanajima. "I've come for a few things to make my beverages." Hanajima informed, walking into the room.

"Uotani and Kyo are battling it out now." "I wish I could see it!" Rena snapped her fingers. "Yes. It looked very... amusing." Hanajima grabbed several itema ,fillign up the wagon she had brought with her, and wheeled it out to the door.

"I will be making my beverages in the kitchen on the next floor. So that no one will know just yet what it is that I am making." Hanajima said before leaving.

"You never know just what it is I may decide to put in it..."

"...Momiji, let's finish this up." Rena finally said after turning pale for a minute.

**Me: Long enough, right?**

**SWD: (nods) Yep.**

**Me: Alright Hanajima, sign us out!  
**

**Hanajima: Read and review please. And allow me to read your wonderful waves.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Me: Welcome back, dear readers, and especially, dear reviewers! (grins)**

**SWD: Here we are again. Time for another chapter of her all too long story.**

**Me: Remember, be supportive, SUPPORTIVE!!**

**Yuki: I think your story is very nice, Holt-san.**

**Me: See? At least **_**someone**_** is nice! (glares at SWD)**

**SWD :(shrugs)**

**Yuki: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her own characters and this story.**

Chapter Twenty

"Okay, so we have all fifty-six chocolate chip cookies, we've got the odangoes, ume konbu, and the chocolate ice cream, the chocolate brownies are in the oven, we've almost got all fourty-two of the onigiris dipped in the melted chocolate, and now all we have left to do is make the kuzumochi." Rena informed Momiji, updatign their cooking status.

"Great! I know how to make that!" Momiji began to search for the ingrediants nessacry to make Kuzu starch. Rena finished up dipping the riceballs while Momiji started to make the starch.

After finishing her task, Rena took the brownies out of the oven and put them on a plate, covering them with plastic wrapping. She then grabbed a picnic basket.

In the picnic basket, Rena put the cookies, riceballs, and odangoes in it, and she put the ume konbu and brownies in the cooler with ice, with the ice cream.

_"I wonder who's wining, Kyo or Uotani-san..." _Rena wondered while she packed the food.

**-Change in POV-**

"HA HA YOU STUPID YANKEE!! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" Ky osmacked the ball towardrs Arisa. "NO WAY! I'D NEVER LOSE TO A DUMB ASS LIKE YOU!!" Arisa retorted, swinging her paddle and sending the ball back at Kyo.

"GO KYO-KUN! GO UO-CHAN! GO! GO! GOOO!" Tohru cheered. "How long is this going to take?" Yuki groaned.

"I don't know, but you guys, the Ping Pong Mastwee is growing impaitent!" Hatsuharu told the players. "And just who the hell is that?" Kyo demanded.

"Our dearest Yuki, naturally." Hatsuharu pointed both hands at Yuki. "Don't get me invovled in this." Yuki walked away.

**-Change in POV-**

"Yeah... They're probably havign lots of fun..." Rena sighed. "Here Rena-chan, I've got the starch batter for the kuzumochi made!" Momiji jumnped up beside Rena.

"You finished making the batter already?" Rena asked. "Yup!" Momiji exclaimed. "Boy, you sure do work fast when it invovles food." Rena muttered.

"Let's get the pans and pour the batter into them!" Momiji pulled on Rena's hand again.

"Sure Momitchi." Rena pulled two large rectangualr pans out from under the cabinets. "We'll cut each pan into 7 equal pieces." Rena told Momiji as she handed him a pan.

**(How in heaven's name they're gonna do that, I don't really know...)**

"So, um, Momiji... DO you... Do you still play the violin?" Rena randomly asked the rabbit as they poured kuzu starch into their pans. "I... I never really got the chance to hear you play."

"...Yes, I do play it sometimes, but I'm not nearly as good as I used to be when I practiced with my teacher." Momiji informed Rena.

"Momo wanted to play the violin too, and Papa wanted Momo to be taught by a famous and well-known musican, so I had to stop taking lessons so that Momo could start."

"Oh yeah... Your Papa won't let you see her... Will he?" Rena whispered. "He doesn't what his own happiness to be broken so he lets you have all the pain... He's being such a selfish and greedy old man. He thinks only of himself. But Momi does seem like she _wants _to be with you, Momiji-kun."

"Things would be better... Id we didn't get to know each other. For Papa and Mama's sakes." Momiji smiled sadly. "It'll only hurt them again. Things will be better for them... If I just let them forget me."

"Momiji-kun... You're... So kind. So very nice. And if this helps any... Since you don't have your Mama or Momo or hardly your Papa to love you... Me and Tohru-kun and all of your family and other friends love you extra! Just to make up for the loss of your Papa and Mama and Momo's love." Rena told the bunny.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Momiji handed his pan to Rena, who put it in the oven along with her own. "But... It's not me... That I'm worried about, Rena-chan." Momiji whispered.

"Who I'm worried about... Who I'm _really_ worried about and _truly_ scared for... Isn't me, or Papa, or Mama, or Momo, or even the others. It's... It's you who I'm scared for and worried about, Rena." Momji looked Rena in her eyes.

Momiji leaned back against the cabinets. "I hear that... Akito-san should be showing up soon."

Rena lowered her eyes and slightly smiled to herself, looking down and crossing her arms as if she was hurt. "So you know about it too... Who told you?"

"No one did. I... I saw him a little while before I came to see you and Tohru and the others. He... He has a message that he wants me to pass on to you." Momiji told Rena.

**-Beginning of Flashback-**

"Stop, robber!" One of Momiji's classmates, Yahiko, shouted. "Yeah, stop!" Yahiko's friend, Kenshin, ordered, running after Momiji as well.

"No way you guys! You'll never catch me!" Momiji laughed as he ran away. "Are you guys _still_ playing that stupid game?" A girl named Misao sighed, not looking up from her book and fixing her glasses.

"It's not stupid! It's called cops and robbers, brainiac!" Yahiko huffed. "Whatever, look, I'm going inside. Yamaguchi-sensei's callign us." Misao closed her book and began to walk towards the school building.

"Come on Kenshin! We'll get in trouble!"

"Coming, Misao!" Kenshin trailed after Misao with pink hearts in his eyes. Misao giggled, talking Kenshin's hand and leading him in.

"Honestly, I don't see what Kenshin sees in that brainiac. She may be cute, but she's just to smart and stuck-up for me." Yahiko crossed his arms.

Momiji shrugged. "You never know. She seems nice enough to Kenshin. Maybe she really likes him back." "... Yeah, maybe... Well ,whatever the case, we seriously need to go back in. Before Kenshin makes a complete idiot of himself in front of Misao and Yama-sensei get's angry. She really did call us." Yahiko started towards the building.

"Okay Yahiko. let me just get my stuff!" Momiji ran back to gather his belongings.

"Get out of my why, brat."

Momiji looked up. "No..." Momiji dropped all of his belongings, his eyes becoming wide from fear.

For his God was in his presence.

"A... Akito-san?" Momiji whispered. "Why hello Momiji. I didn't expect to see such an annoying and stupid little brat like you here. Tell me, isn;t this place for people with _minds_?" Akito smirked.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be at the main house." Momiji asked with a glare. "Yes, but I'm being allowed into a public school. And as long as I can control myself... I can stay here. At this very school." Akito informed.

"You're in 10th grade... Right, Momiji? And I'm attending 12th grade... So that means Rena really is a second year 11th grade student, am I right?" Akito inquired.

"...I... I won't let you near her. Or Yuki, or Kyo, or Tohru." Momiji held up his arms. "Not in this lifetime."

"Such defiance. I suppose your memories have been revived as well. That makes everything even funner." Akito grinned evilly. "Rena... She's in that Mayuko Shiraki's 11th grade class... Isn't she? Just like Yuki and Kyo? And _Tohru_?"

"...Why do you want to know? Are you trying to get to them again?" Momiji demanded. "I'll take that as a yes." Akito stuck his hands in his pockets. "Do me a favor, will you, Momiji?"

"What kind of favor, Akito-san?" Momiji inquired. "...Tell Rena I said hi and that I'm lookign all over for her. Tell her that Itachi and I have missed her so much and would like her to come back to us." Akito said to Momiji.

"And this time, she'd better not run away. Because if she does... She'll get her punishment even worst than the last time."

And with that Akito walked off, leaving a frightened Momiji. _"No... Not again. I can't... I can't let them hurt her again. Please... Don't hurt my sister again!" _Momiji thought.

"Akito-san... Wait!" Momiji ran after Akito. "Hm? What is it, Momiji? Hurry up and spit it out and stop wasting my time." Akito turned back to the Rabbit of the Juunishi impaitently.

"AKito-san... Why? Why are you and Itachi-san... Doing this to Rena? What... What did she ever do to you? Why did the two of you hurt her the way you did? Why won't you just leave her alone?!" Tears blurred Momiji's vision.

"Why won't you stop hurting Rena?! She doesn't deserve your cruel treatment, you know! Just leave her alone!"

"Oh? So of all people know of Itachi? Do you also know of that night? Six years ago? You know... The one where Itachi and I..." Akito smirked.

"Now, don't forget to tell Rena I said hi."

**-End of Flashack-**

"Akito says he and Itachi miss you and want you to come back. He says he doesn't want you to run away anymore. What does he mean?" Momiji asked.

"I... I can't tell you, Momiji-kun. Because if I did... I think you'd probably cry." Rena smiled a bittersweet smile, but it seem even more like a grimace to Momiji.

"Rena... Don't you trust me? Your older brother?" Momiji lowered his eyes. "Of course I do, Momitchi. You my litttle bunny rabbit. Why wouldn't I trust you?" Rena responded.

"When why won't you tell me anything?" Momiji demanded. "What's making you so afraid to tell me your sercrets, Rena? Do you always... Have to hide things like this from us?"

After moments of silence between the two, Rena hugged Momiji, not letting go of him. "It's because I love you way too much to let you get invovled in this." Rena whispered to Momiji.

"I don't want you to get hurt. I could never forgive myself if you got hurt again, Momiji. All because of that bastard Akito. I've... I've failed at protecting the ones I love before, and I'm not failing again!"

"But... Itachi is one of your Masters, isn't he?" Momiji murmured. "...I don't know what you're talking about, Momiji." Rena walked over to the oven.

_"I don't want them to suffer because ofme. And I don't want either of th e Juunishi Gods... To hurt them." _Rena thought. _"It's okay if you deny it, Rena-chan. You don't have to admit anytihng to me. Because... Unknown to you... I already know everything about your past life and your Masters, Akito and Itachi. I already know."_ Momiji thought.

**-Change in POV-**

"Ha! I beat you, you stupid Yankee!" Kyo cheered in triumph. "Sure. Let's go with that/" Arisa grinned at Kagura. "Have fun playing with your girlfriend, Orangey."

"WHAT?! NO! NO WAY! I'm not doing it!" Kyo crossed his arms defiantly. "Oh, but you have to, unless you don't want to go against Yuki. You see, since I 'lost' to _you_, you have t oplay with _Kagura_." Arisa smirked.

"You knew that from the beginning, didn't you?" Kyo growled. "Duh. Why else do you think you won against me? Did you honestly think you, a stupid orange cat, could defeat me, a beautiful Yankee Priestess?" Arisa replied.

"You only won because I _let _you win."

"Oh come on Kyo-kun! This'll be fun!" Kagura grabbed Kyo's arm. "Not for me." Kyo groaned. "The winner of round five is Kyo Sohma! Next up is, Ky oSohma vs. The one and only... KAGURA SOHMA!" HAtsuharu exclaimed.

_"Boy, this sure is taking forever..." _Yuki thought. "Let's play this game with _love_, Kyo-kun!" Kagura took the ping-pong padle as Arisa gladly handed it to her.

"What love do I have for _you_?" Kyo retorted. "Hey, Yuki, when I beat this girl, I'm comin' after you next." Kyo called back to the Silver Prince.

"Of course. I couldn't have it any other way." Yuki replied. "Het, I wonder what's taking Hanajima, Rena, and Momiji so long..." Arisa trailed off.

"Well, Hana-chan said she was off making her special secret beverage recipe, and Rena-chan an Momiji-kun are probably still cooking." Tohru told Arisa.

"Yeah, well it would be a shame if they missed Kyo get his butt whupped by the Prince in the next round." Arisa crossed her arms with a smirk.

"I heard that, you Yankee mongrol." Kyo growled. "Sticks and stones may break my bones," Arisa walked over to Kyo and dragged him over to the classroom window.

"...BUT A FIFTY FEET FALL WILL KILL YA'LL!!" Arisa threw Kyo up and out the window, throwing him fifty feet into the air and fifty feet in distance away from the school.

_"Doesn't the rhyme go 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me'?" _Yuki thought. _"But I do like the idea of throwing that stupid cat out of the window like that."_

"Sweet! Did he die?! Is he dead?!" Arisa looked out the window. "...Wait, no... He's only hurt. He's still alove." Arisa sighed. "Dammit! And I was hopin' that would work!"

**-Five Minutes Later-**

Kyo busted down the door and glared angrily at Arisa. "Wow. He really did survive." Arisa muttered. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Kyo snarled.

"Kyo-kun... You didn't due... YOU DIDN"T DIE ON ME!!" Kagura ran to Kyo and hugged him. "Yep. Kyo is the only one in the whole entire world that can be thrown fifty feet into the air and land fifty feey away from the window he was thrown out of and live, so please, don't try this at home." Hatsuharu warned.

"Or course I'm alive." Kyo shoved Kagura away. "And who the hell are you talking to, Haru?" "The audience." Hatsuharu responded.

"...What audience...?" Yuki asked confused. "Don't worry. Let's just play." Hatsuharu replied. "YAH KYO!" Kagura hugged Kyo. "I hate you." Kyo glared at Arisa, who stack her tongue out at him, basically saying, "Ha-ha. This is what you get!"

**Me: Nice chapter, right?**

**SWD: Sure.**

**Me: There you go being unsupportive again! (crosses arms and pouts)**

**Tohru: Don't worry EGP-chan. I'm sure SWD-chan cares more than she shows it.**

**Arisa: C'mon, let's just end this chapter so that I can watch Kyo suffer in the next chapter!**

**Me: Well that's mean!**

**Arisa: Read and review please!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Me: School is hell. That's all I gotta say.**

**Kyo: (sneer) You **_**just **_**realized that? **

**SWD: Can I kill someone? **_**Please??**_

**Me: Go ahead.**

**SWD: YAY! (begins going around and murdering random people)**

**Me: ...Uh... I didn't think you'd take me seriously...**

**Kyo: (sighs and shakes his head at me like I'm an idiot) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters, this story, and her murderous assassin best friend.**

**Me: (shrug) Didn't mean to.**

Chapter Twenty One

"Alright everyone, let's get ready to rum-ble!" Hatsuharu shouted. "Shut up Haru." Kyo snapped, picking up his ping-pong paddle.

"I won't hold back. Especially not on you." Kyo retorted, holding up his own paddle. Hatsuharu threw the ping-pong ball over the table.

"GO!"

**-Change in POV-**

"Okay Momiji, the kuzumochi is done! Let's cut it up, put the the cherry frosting over it, and put a starwberry on top!" Rena exclaimed.

"Yah! Let's! And if we hurry, we'll get to see Kyo and Yuki go off against each other!" Momiji urged Rena. Rena got the pans out of the oven and set them on the oventop.

"Ooh, let me cut it up!" Momiji held up two sharp butcher's knives. "Um, Momiji, I don't think you should hold those knives like that." Rena sweat dropped.

"They're sharp and pointy."

"I know! That's the fun part!" Momiji began cutting the kuzumochi up into seven pieces per pan. **(Once again, I don't know how in heaven's name they did that)**

"Be careful Momitchi!" Rena warned Momiji. "Here. You can put the cherry frosting on your kuzumochi." Momiji handed Rena the icing bag.

"Oh, so I have to have your permission first?" Rena muttered, taking the icing bag and covering her kuzumochi pieces with the pink frosting.

"I'll get the supplies ready!" Momiji ran across the kitchen and made sure enough things like silverware, plates, bowls and napkins were in the pcinic basket.

After she finished neatly spreading the cherry icing over her kuzumochi, Rena stopped, not turning to see Momiji. "Um... Momiji-kun... Rena trailed off.

"Hn? What is it, Rena-chan?" Momiji turned back to Rena, only seeing her back. "Can you... Um... I mean... If you have the time to... Could you... Could you play the violin for me? Just once? I really want to hear you play." Rena fumbled over her words.

"Sure, Rena-chan. Anything for you." Momiji smiled. "Thanks." Rena thanked the bunny. "Rena-chan... Will it stop raining soon?" Momiji asked.

"What do you mean? It's not raining..." Rena blinked a few times. "Will it stop raining soon?" Momiji asked again, this time walking up to Rena and forcing her to turn around and meet his eyes.

"...I don't understand what you're asking. Raining? It hasn't rained all week. What do you mean 'Will it stop raining soon?'?" Rena inquired.

_"I don't get what he means... Will it stop raining... What could he possibly mean by that?" _Rena wondered.

"No, it's still raining, Rena-chan. I can see the rain. Can't you see it too? It's raining all over the world. It just won't stop raining. I hate this rain so much. It feels so bad. The rain... The suffering... The sorrow... It's so horrible that there's so much of it, isn't it?"

"I understand that you won't be here forever with us. I know that one day soon... You'll be gone, Rena-chan. You'll leave us only to make Our World a much better place. And I'll miss you so much. I don't... I don't want you to go, but... I can't be selfish and think of my own wants before the needs of The World, can I?" Momiji smiled sadly.

"I love you so much, Rena-chan. The rain engulfs you. The suffering... The sorrow... Is slowly eating away at you. I want you to be happy. So... Will it stop raining soon? Will your suffering... Your very own sorrow and pain... Come to an end?"

Tears brimmed Rena's eyes. "Yes, Momiji-kun. It'll stop raining. One day, it will stop raining. I promise." Rena's long black bangs covered her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Momiji-kun... Momiji-kun! I'll... I'll miss you too when I have to go! Really I will! But if I go... It'll finally stop raining! Everyone's suffering will stop, and it will be worth it, knowing that you and Tohru and the others are safe! You can finally be free and happy! You can live without the darkness!"

"What about you? If you die to prevent The World's Demise... If you die by The Angel of Death's hands in the Final Battle to save the world... What will become of you? For you... Will it ever stop raining?" Momiji asked.

"It's a price to pay! If I can protect everyone and everything that I love... Then I don't care what happens to me! I don't! I was born to suffer and be sacrificed!" Rena cried, more tears escaping her.

"As long as you're okay, I don't matter to myself! I just don't care what happens to me! I just want everyone to be happy! For everyone to live!"

"Rena-chan... It's okay to be afraid of Death. It's okay to be scared. You don't have to pretend. Everyone, sooner or later, fears Death. It's a scary thing to be faced with. And to know from the day of your birth that you're just going to die someday... That's even scarier." Momiji wiped Rena's tears away.

"It's... It's not that I'm afraid of death, Momiji-kun. I'm not afraid to die. And I _want_ to be able to protect the ones I love. I _want_ everyone to be happy. I want to make the rain stop, but... I don't _want _to die."

"I... I'm being so selfish... Aren't I? I'm so... pathetic. I realize that I am a sacrifice, and my sole purpose in life is to die. The thought of death doesn't bother me in the least. I have no fear of death or the Afterlife. My dying will save all of humanity. And yet... I don't want to die yet!"

"I want to live, and grow up and enjoy life and get old! Just like any other human being! Because of the Darkness, and the elimination of The Destined Future... The abilities our curses gave us... They've been demolished. We are no longer immmortal. We only have one life to live now."

"Momiji-kun... I'm just not ready to die. I'm not afraid to, but... I don't want to go yet. I feel like... I'm being cheated out of my life, y'know? I don't... I don't want to die. Not yet. They're so much out there... That I haven't seen. So many things... That I've never done. So many emotions... That I've never experienced. I'm only sixteen! I'm still just a kid! Not even grown up yet!" Rena whispered. "Dammit... It's just... It's just not fair!!"

Rena covered her eyes with her arm to wipe away the upcoming tears and bit her lip, holding back her whimpers. Momiji wrapped his arms around Rena and pulled her into a tight hug. "Rena-chan... Rena-chan, don't give up. Don't give into it. You're not going to die. You're strong enough to beat this, I know you are! So don't lose the will to live to the Angel of Death, okay?"

"Imotou-san... There's nothing wrong with wanting to live. It's not being selfish or greedy or inconsiderate. It's only human. You want to make the best out of your life that you can. Having a desire to live... It's okay. No one will judge you for it. Because no one is as willing to die for this rain-filled world as you are."

"Princess Rena... Protector and Guardian of Light...You will not die. A heart as pure as yours will never allow itself to be beaten and destroyed by something as harsh as a Forced Death. You will survive this."

_"Momiji-kun... Sometimes I wonder... Is the the way... Akito feels? Is Akito too... Unwilling to die yet? Like me? Does he do what he does... Through his burning desire to live?" _Rena wondered.

_"If your desire to live is strong enough... Then can you escape a fate that is evitable? If I burn with the desire to live... If I don't let myself be lost to the growing darkness... If I don't give into the Angel of Death... Then will I still have a chance at a prolonged life?"_

_"Is that... Akito's approach? To make himself desire life so much that no one will be able to steal it from him? Will it help... T o think that way? To completely lose one's fear of dying too soon... That's impossible. But for one's heart to beat so loud and stong with the desire to live? To want life so badly it becomes a burning desire? That's not impossible."_

"Onii-chan... I still don't want to die yet. What more, I don't eactly favor that way dying. But... That doesn't mean I have to let the fact that I am destined to die rule my life, right? I want to live... So I'll start by proving myself worthy. My insides burn with passion to live. My heart beats loud and strong with the desire of life. And I will not lose the will to live. Because of you, Momiji-kun."

"Momiji-kun... You've always been by my side. You've always believes in me. And your trust for me makes me feel like I can do anything. Thanks you so much for everything. Because of you... I have to courage to go on with my life and not give up, no matter what the obsticle. You gave me the courage to try to find the good in the world.Arigatou Gozaimasu, Nii-san."

"One day, the rain will stop falling. One day... It will stop raining. I believe it. And I hope that I can at least live long enough to see the first rainbow. With you, Momiji-kun."

"Rena-chan... Don't worry. You'll live to see the first rainbow. And the many more that follow that one. You'll see." Momiji smiled, lefting go of Rena.

"See? Don't you feel better? Now that you've cried it all out?"Momiji dried Rena's damp cheeks. "I could tell something other than Akito and your duties was bothering you."

"Oh, and your eyes are red, by the way."

"Thanks. I do feel a lot better now.I guess I just needed to let that all out. My heart feels so much lighter now!" Rena stretched.

_"Momiji-kun... You were able to tell me just the right things I needed to hear, even if some of it hurt at first. Thank you. I hope you'll always be there for me."_

"I get to put the strawberries on the kuzumochi!" Rena grabbed the container full of strawberries, her favorite fruit. "Okay. You can do mine too, Rena-chan." Momiji told Rena.

"Thanks, Momiji-kun!" Rena twirled around and smiled at the Rabbit of the Juunishi. "Thank you so much."

After Rena turned away, Momiji felt his heart skip a beat. _"D... Did she just... Rena-chan. She... She actually smiled. It wasn't a fake. This time... She really did it. Her true, beautiful smile. I'm so glad... That finally, after all this time, I was able to help her smile again." _Momiji thought.

_"If you had lost the abiity to smile a real smile, Rena... I think I would never've been able to live with this guilt eating away at me. The guilt telling me... That all of your suffering... Is actually... Because of me."_

**-Change of POV-**

"Oh Kyo-kun you're playing so hard! Do you really want to beat me that badly?" Kagura asked. "Hell yeah!" Kyo exclaimed, hitting the ball back at Kagura.

"But aren't you going to let the love of your life win this game?" Kagura smacked the ball back at Kyo. "Hell no! You're no love of my life!" Kyo retorted, catching Kagura off guard and whacking the ball, it zipping past her.

"But... Kyo... _**YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO LET ME WIN**_." Kagura's eyes began glowing. "Now, now Kagura-san." Arisa interrupted.

"You can beat Orangey up later, but right now, we need to watch him get his ass whupped by Yuki." "Shut up, Yankee!" Kyo snapped.

Before Arisa could start raging at the Cat of the Juunishi, Kagura reminded her, "Now, now Uotani-chan. We have to watch him play against Yuki, remember?"

"The winner of round six is Kyo Sohma! Next is Kyo Sohma vs. Yuki Sohma!" Hatsuharu annoucned. "Let the better man win, Cat." Yuki took the paadle from Kagura.

"Shut up, Rat." Kyo growled, holding up the paddle ball and whacking it. "He... He didn't even let me say go..." Hatsuharu trailed off.

Kyo hit the ball with full force, the ball hitting the back wall. "You've got to let the ball bounce off the table, stupid." Yuki sneered.

"Shut up, ya damn rat!" Kyo raged, hitting the back wall with the ball again. "Is this game over yet?" Kagura yawned. "Oh yeah. It was over before it even started." Arisa replied, crossing her arms.

"Stupid Cat. Don't tell me you can't even manage to play ping pong right!" Yuki whacked the ping pong ball, it zipping right over Kyo's head.

"I win." Yuki set down his paddle. "You were a waste of my time and effort, baka neko." "Grrrrr... I want a best two out of three!" Kyo demanded for a redo.

"No redoes Kyo! No redos!"

Kyo clenched his fist. "I'd know that annoying voice from anywhere." Kyo slowly turned his vein throbbign nhead to sewe Momiji waving at him.

"Hi Kyo! I'm back!" Momiji exclaimed eagerly. "Me too, Kyonkichi! Aren't you happy to see us?" Rena asked, smiling. "NO!" Kyo yelled angrily. "AND DON'T CALL ME KYONKICHI, DAMMIT!!"

"But why Kyo? Why?" Momiji whimpered. "YOU." Kyo grabbed Momiji's ears and began twisting and pulling on them. "YOU. YOU'RE VOICE IS SO ANNOYING. THE SOUND OF YOUR VOICE_ AGGRAVATES _ME."

"WWWWAAAAHHHH! Rena! Tohru! Kyo's being mean again! WWWAAAAHHHH!!" Momiji whined. "Ah, once again, the waves whirling around in the air are most pleasant..." Hanajima appeared out of nowhere.

Kyo jumped back, startled. "W-Where did you come from?!" Kyo cried in suprise. "Do you _really_ want to know where I came from?" Hanajima questioned the Cat of the Juunishi.

**"..."**

_-Long awkward silence-_

"... Not _really_." Hatsuharu spoke up. "Good. Because if I told you... Your ears would begin bleeding and bleeding and bleeding until you could no longer hear." Hanajima responded.

"...Hanajima-san's scaring me." Momiji took a few steps back and hid behind Rena and Tohru. "She scares us all, Momiji. She scares us all." Kyo agreed with Momiji on something.

For once.

"Moving right along," Hatsuharu interrupted. "The winner of round seven is Yuki Sohma! Next up is the moment you've all been waiting for... The last and final round... The best of the best... The greatest of all moments... The cream off the - "

"Get on with it, Haru." Yuki tapped his foot impaitently. "... Yuki Sohma vs. Me, Hatsuharu Sohma!: Hatsuharu finally exclaimed dramatically.

"See Momiji? I told you we wouldn't miss the final round!" Rena grinned from being right. "Yeah, but it's too bad we missed Kyo and Yuki go against each other." Momiji sighed. "No, you're _lucky_ you missed it." Arisa retorted.

"I'll throw the ball into the air!" Rena grabbed the ping pong ball. " You guys do yur best!" Tohru cheered the Juunishi memebers on.

"Don't lose pathetically, okay you guys? If you're gonna lose, lose with at least _some_ dignity." Rena threw the ball up in the air. "If the even _have_ any dignity." Kyo muttered. "You're one to talk. You didn't lose with much dignity yourself." Arisa mumbled.

"GO!" Rena shouted. Hatsuharu swung his paddle at the ball, flinging it towards Yuki, and Yuki flung it back. The patteren continued, the ball being sent back and forth for umpteen minutes without a word spoken between the two opponets, and the only sound in the room was the sounds of the ball against the paddle and the ball whooshing throught the air.

"I wonder who's gonna win..." Tohru trirf to start up a conversation. "My money's on the Prince. He hasn't failed me yet!" Airsa exclaimed. "I don't really care." Kyo sneered.

"You're just upset because you lost to Yuki." Rena and Arisa murmured in a fusion. "Who asked you, Yankee? Who asked you either, bunny brat?!" Kyo growled.

"It's okay Kyo, it's okay! You'll get him next time!" Momiji encouraged Kyo. "I didn't ask your your opinion either, rabbit." Kyo glared.

"Kyo, leave Momiji-kun alone!" Rena ordered. "Make me!" Kyo retorted. "Fine, I will! Crash boy!" Rena commanded.

_**CRASH!**_

"OW DAMMIT! I'LL KILL YOU RENA!!" Kyo howled in pain. "Don't worry Kyo, I love you too." Rena patted Kyo's head. "I'm gonna die if I have to watch this anymore!" Kagura whined.

"Get... The hell... Over it..." Kyo mumbled, trying to sit up, but the spell had not worn off yet.

"I'm bored." Hanajima sat down. After another ten minutes, Kagura finally snapped. "That's it!" Kagura snatched the ping pong ball out of mid air, suprising Yuki and Hatsuahru.

"_**THAT'S IT! THIS GAME IS **__**OVER!**_" Kagura snarled, crushing the ball in her hand. "But... Who won the game?" Yuki asked.

Kagura slowly turned herhead to face Yuki.

**"YOU BOTH WON."**

"Oh, um, o-okay..." (sweat droped)

"Grrrrr... Just who the _hell _do you think you are anyway?!" Hatsuharu yelled at Kagura. "How dare you stop my fun like you have some form of authority? Just who do you tihnk you are anyway?"

"He... He turned black on Kagura-chan!" Tohru gasped. "He's never done that before!" "He's SO dead." Kyo smirked. "You don't seem too upset by this." Hanajima muttered.

"Haru... Haru, how dare _you_ speak to me like that? How dare you turn Black on me!: KAgura yelled angrily. "Now, now Kagura. Let me take care of this." Rena pushed Tohru into Hatsuharu's amrs.

_POOF!_

"AH! He - He transformed! Oh no!" Tohru panicked. "YOU IDIOT! YOU JUST MADE HIM TRANSFORM!" Kyo yelled at Rena.

'And that's bad because? There's no one in here." Rena grabbed the back of Hatsuharu's neck. "Come on Hatsu. We need to get you to the bathroom so that you can get dressed when you change back."

"And just _how_ are you going to get a _cow_ into a public bathroom without anyone noticing?" Kyo crossed his arms.

"... I dunno." Rena shrugged. "I'll just have Tori-nii erase everyone's memory that sees it." "You can't just use Hatori as your own personal servant!: Kyo snapped. "He's a busy man!"

"Busy doing what? Watching over Ame-nii and Shii-chan? Yeah." Rena rolled her eyes. "Exactly! They're not the best of adults, you know!" Kyo retorted.

"Tori-nii won't mind. He'll scold me, but he'll still do it." Rena responded. "I don't know why Hatori puts up with Ayame, Shigure or you, Tsujitani-san." Yuki shook his head.

"Oh Yuki... That was so cold..." Rena said offended. "Don't take it personally." Yuki replied.

_POOF!_

"AH!" Tohru turned away quickly, doing her, as I call it, 'panic dance'. Hatsuharu emerged from the smoke. "I'll go to the bathroom to change now." Hatsuharu grabbed his c lothes and walked out into the hallway.

"HEY! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON _**BEFORE**_ YOU WALK OUT INTO A PUBLIC HALLWAY! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR NUDITY!!" Kyo yelled after Hatsuharu.

"He de-transformed pretty fast this time." Arisa put her hands on her hips. "Usually it takes long than that..."

**Me: Another complete chapter!**

**SWD: Kyo, your games comin' up next!**

**Kyo: DODGEBALL?!**

**Me: (laugh) Yes, dodgeball.**

**Kyo: YES!! FINALLY!!**

**SWD: Read and review please!**

**Kyo: Hurry! I wanna play dodgeball!**

**Me: ...I just had the sudden urge to go even slower...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Me: Alright, who's ready for -**

**Kyo: DODGEBALL! DODGEBALL! DODGEBAAAAALLLLLLLL!!**

**Me: ...**

**Kyo: Come on! I'm ready to play Dodgeball and beat the Damn Rat!**

**SWD: We're sure you are.**

**Me: Yes, yes, many of you are just anxious for there to be romance between Tohru and Kyo, or Tohru and Yuki, or for Rena to be nice to Kyo, but we're not JUST QUITE there. Not YET. Almost, but not quite. Akito's appearance in Chapter 24 and on will change EVERYTHING. And THAT, my friends, is when this story gets even better. It is no longer Child's Play, but a true story.**

**SWD: (rolls eyes) She's so full of herself...**

**Me: I own nothing but what belongs to me!**

Chapter Twenty Two

"Alright people. This is no game. This is an adventure. It's survival of the fittest, and there is no mercy or remorse nor will there be if anyone is taken down." Kyo began.

"It's every man, woman, and child for themselves... No one is safe anymore. There is nowhere to run and there is nowhere to hide. It _will_ chase you until it gets you. And resistance is futile."

"All you can do is run, jump, and dodge, understand? They _will_ pursue you as you try to run and jump and dodge, but hey, no one said it would be fair." Kyo bounced the red ball in his hand.

"Especially since the King is in the house." Kyo grinned. "Let the games begin." Kyo walked up to the group, who were slowly backing away.

"GO!" Kyo threw the ball.

Everyone dodged the ball.

"I. Declare. WAR!!" Kyo knocked over a carton of red balls and emptied a bag full of the same red balls, throwing them all over the place.

Hatsuharu picked up a red dodgeball. "You're going down, Orangey!" Hatsuharu threw the ball at Kyo, who jumped back and dodged it.

Soon, balls were being thrown all over the place. "This is a very strange and pointless game." Hanajima just stood there, waiting for a ball to hit her.

"Damn, I love this game!" Arisa picked up a ball and threwit at Kyo, missing him by an inch. "Damn!: Arisa snapped by fingers. "I missed him! And I was _soooo_ close!"

"It's okay, Uo-chan." Tohru assured Arisa. "Tohru, watch out!" Arisa warned. "Watch out? For what?" Tohru turned around oly to be hit hard in the face with a dodge ball that very smae moment.

"Honda-san!" Yuki reaced to Tohru's side. "Tohru!" Arisa and Hanajima raced to Tohru as well, helping her up. "Are you alright Tohru?!" Momijiasked.

"Don't worry Tohru-kun, we'll avenge your cruel and unforgiving death!" Rena and Kagura chorused. "N-No, it's okay! I'm okay! Really!: Tohru insisted.

"Too late. They're already heading for Kyo with dodgeball." Hatsuharu pointed to Rena, Kagura, and Momiji. "Honda-san, are you alright?" Yuki asked. "Do you want me toget an ice bag for your nose?"

"No. that's asking too much of you. I'm okay, Yuki-kun. I'll just sit on the side lines and get out of everyone's way." Tohru told Yuki.

"Then please, allow me to join you." Yuki followed the onigiri to the sidelines.

Hanajima and Arisa exchanged glances. "I'll stay with Tohru, and you go out therer for blood-thirsty revenge. Deal?" Hanajima said to Arisa.

"Oh yeah." Arisa grinned, turning back to the battlefield.

"Kyo. you monster! You hit Tohru-kun in the face! How could you _do_ something like that to her?!" Kagura threw a ball at Kyo.

"You should be ashamed of youirself for hurting Tohru-kun! We';; get you for this, Kyo-kun! You'll pay!" Rena threw her ball at Kyo as well.

"Now, follow our plan." Rena whispered to Momiji. "Right! You can count on me!" Momiji nodded, running in the opposite direction.

Kyo dodged both ball, along with the one Hatsuharu threw at him. "Why is everyone attacking me?!" Kyo demanded. "You hit Honda-san in her face, and now because of you, she bleeding, Stupid Cat!" Yuki glared at Kyo, holding a napkin out to Tohru.

"Here. Use this. It will help with the bleeding." Yuki handed Tohru the napkin. "Thanks Yuki-kun." Tohru took the napkin gratefully and pressed it against her nose.

"You should be more careful not to throw your balls so hard at poor, delicate, and defenseless younh women like Honda-san." Yuki scolded. "You should know that despite how disgustingly weak you are, you're stronger than most of the girls here, and you you could really hurt them. Be gentle, idiot. Especially to Honda-san."

"Like I need a damn scolding from you!" Kyo scoffed. "But hey... Is Tohru in any pain?" "What do you think, stupid?" Yuki retorted. "Of course she's in pain! You just hit her with full force _in her face_!!"

"Shut the hell up! You damn rat! What the hell did I say about scolding me? You think you're just so much damn better than me! I just aske a damn question! You don't have to bite my head off!" Kyo snapped. "I don't need you telling me anything!"

"Kyo, Tohru's obviously in pain right now, and instead of even apologizing to her, you're fighting with Yuki! Instead of losing your cool with your cousin, what you need to be doing is apologizing to Tohru-kun and trying to make it up to her!" Rena shouted at the Cat of the Juunishi.

"N-No! It's not that big of a deal! Really!" Tohru insisted. "I agree with Tsujitani! I should wring your scrawny little neck after what you've done!" Arisa agreed with Rena, not hearing Tohru.

"Shut your mouth! You act like I commited a freakin' _crime_! All Idid was throw a stupid ball and it accidently hit Tohru in her face! It's not like I _meant_ to hurt her! Will you guys just get off of my case?!" Kyo raged.

"Guys! I'm okay! I'm fine! Really I am! See? It was only a small little nosebleed! It stop!" Tohru interrupted the agrument. **(She's lying. Her nose is still bleeding and hasn't even**_** tried**_** to stop yet)**

"I guess you're right, Kyo. We're wasting away too much time talking and arguing." Arisa sighed, picking up two dodgeballs. "So it's settled trhen! Let's have a Battle to the Death!" Arisa exclaimed, grinning and glaring at Kyo simultaneously.

"Are you challenging me? To my own game?" Kyo inquired. "Damn straight I am!" Arisa retorted. "Fine. You're on!" Kyo grabbed two dodgeballs, grinning and glaring simultaneously right back at Arisa.

Sparks began shooting between their death glares and fire filled their background. "Um... But I don't wanna die..." Rena sweat dropped. "And who turned on all the flames again?" "You sound like Sensei now." Hatsuharu pulled a fire extinguisher out of nowhere."

"...Where the heck did you get that thing?" Rena asked. Hatsuharu shrugged. "It's a mystery..." "Should we really let Kyo-kun and Uotani-san do that to each other?" Kagura asked, pointing at Kyo and Arisa, who were throwing thousands and thousands of dodgeballs at each other.

_Per Second_

"Shouldn't we stop them?"

Rena shook her head hard and fast. "Heaven forbid! I don't wanna die by the death of a dodgeball! I don't know about you, Kagura-chan, but I want to live to see seventeen and beyond!"

Rena, Kagura, and Hatsuharu watched the thousands of balls zip past them. "There's so many red balls racing through the air..." Hatsuharu stared out into the distance.

"It's almost like there's an endless supplies of them... Thousands ands thousands of little red soldiers... But how can that be? How... _Mysterious..._"

"... Is he okay?" Rena looked towards Kagura.

Suddenly, an angry mob of at least 40 balls attacked the Boar and the Light hime, hitting them hard and fast without mercy. "OW! What the hell? Who keeps attacking us?!" Rena formed a blue barrier, shielding herself and Kagura.

"Ouch! Oh Kyo-kun, save us!" Kagura cried for the Cat of the Juunishi. Kyo gave her a look that pretty much said, 'The hell I will! You're on your own! I'm fighting MY OWN battle here!'.

"Hanajima-san, you'd better hope I don't learn it was actually _you_ attacking us..." Rena growled, shooting Hanajima a dirty look.

In return, Hanajima gave Rena a rather suspicious look and said, "No, what makes you think I would do such a terrible thing to you, Tsujitani-hime?" And then gave an evil smirk.

"...Oh, she did it alright." Kagura crossed her arms. "Oh Hanajima-san! You filthy back stabbingTRAITOR!" Rena yelled at Hanajima. Hanajima shrugged, and with a smile, started up raining her Dodgeballs of Doom Rena and Kagura's barrier.

_"Hey... Where's Hatsuharu?..." _Rena wondered. _"Wasn't he just here a minute ago?..."_

Suddenly, the balls stopped an dropped to the ground, it seeming to be the end of the Rain of Deadly Dodgeballs **(ha ha... Get it? It's 'Rain' instead of 'Reign'... Okay, shutting up now...)**

"You're out." Hanajima told the girls bluntly. _"We already knew that! Does she HAVE to rub it in our faces?! She's the complete definition of evil! EVIL!" _Rena thought, taking down the barrier and walking to the sidelines with Kagura, shooting Hanajima the dirtiest looks knokn to man.

"Okay... With you and me out, Rena-chan... That leaves four people still in the match: Kyo-kun, Haru, Uotani-san, and Momiji-kun." Kagura counted the last survivers of the brutual game of ball doding. **(Man, I HATE dodgeball...) **

"Thanks to _someone_ standing next to us." Rena shot Hanajima another dirty look. Hanajima simply waved back. "Speaking of which, where is Momiji?" Yuki asked.

Rena turned to Yuki, putting her dirty looks for Hanajima on hold, and smirked. "Don't worry about him. He's alright. You'll see him soon enough.

"HA HA YA DAMN YANKEE! I GOT YOU!!"

"Pleas don't tell me that was _Kyo's_ annoying voice yelling at Uotani-san..." Yuki's vein popped out of his head. "Um, it's okay Yuki-kun! You don't have to get mad! Really!" Tohru assured the Rat of the Juunishi, sweat dropping.

"What are the yelling about anyway?" Rena asked. "And where the heck is Hatsuharu?!"

"Ha! I got you out! I beat you!" Kyo bragged. "Shut up, Cat Boy! It was a damn lucky shot!" Arisa retorted. "More like skill, yankee!" Kyo gave her a superior grin.

"Wipe that annoying grin off of your face before I wipe it off for you." Arisa growled, glaring at the neko. "You're just mad because I won - I'm the winner - and you lose- YOU'RE the loser!"Kyo crossed his arms in a matter-of-factly way.

"I'm getting ready to rip your tongue right out of your mouth and make you _eat_ the damn thing!" Arisa rolled up her sleeves.

All of a sudden, Kyo was kicked in the side of his head and sent flying across the gym room.

But Arisa didn't do it.

"Whoa," Arisa whistled, placing her right hand on her hip. "Nice kick, Hatsuharu-kun." "What the hell was that for?!" Kyo demanded.

"You're so full of it! You think that just because you got a _girl_ out, you're the King of the Freakin' World!" Hatsuharu yelled at Kyo.

"Um... Is there a reason why he keeps insisting on going black today?..." Rena sweat dropped. "Never mind, I take it back." Arisa crossed her arms, walking to the sidelines. him

"Uh-oh. Haru turned black again!" Tohru murmured. "Hey... This ought to be amusing." Arisa grinned.

"And just who the hell do you think you are?" Kyo demanded. "Are you trying to start something with me, punk?" "Yeah, and I'm gonna finish it too!" Hatsuharu retorted, picking up a red dodgeball.

"I challenge you to a duel! To a Battle to the Death!" Hatsuharu exclaimed. Rena walked up to Hatusharu, standing in between him and Kyo.

"No you won't. You don't need to do anything that will make that huge ego of your even bigger." Rena responded. "You, my pretty flower, just sit back and relac. I'll take down that bad kitten that hit poor Tohru and avenge her. All for you." Hatsuharu back Rena into the wall and held her chin up to him with one hand on the wall.

**(lol Dont you just love Black Haru? No, no, I promise you, Rena and Hatsuharu won't end up together. He's really only kidding, but he seems so serious doesn't he? Just so that you know, he'll end up with Isuzu, who should be coming in in about... Oh... 15 chapters or so lol)**

A vein popped out of Ren'a head. "Kyo, I give you permission to totally _kill _him." Rena's eyebrow twitched. "That's not nice to say to your lover, Rena-hime." Hatsuharu told Rena with a smirk.

"It's also not nice to start fights with Kyo-kun!" Rena pushed Hatsuharu backwards with all of her might.

("Isn't that what she, Kagura, and Momiji were doing just a while ago?" Kyo muttered)

Hatusharu fell onto Arisa, knocking her over. Arisa grabbed Hatsuharu and brought him down with her, accidently causing him to transform.

**POOF!**

"Hatsuharu-kun! Uotani-san! Are the both of you okay?!" Rena gasped. "They only fell, you know. They'll be just fine." Kyo mumbled.

A white fog surronded the Ox of the Juunishi and Arisa as he was reverted to the form of an Ox. "Uotani-san?" Rena walked quickly up to Arisa.

"I'm good Tsujitani. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Arisa grinned. "That's good, at least. Well, come on Hatsu. I'll take you to the bathroom." Rena sighed, grabbing Hatsuharu's clothes and leading the Ox into the gym bathroom.

"Oh, Kyo... I guess this makes you the winner, as of now. Since Hatsuharu is no longer able to battle." Rena called back before turning the corner.

"Yes! I'm the winner! I told you guys I'd win!" Kyo cheered. "Only because Rena stopped Hatsuharu from creaming you." Arisa muttered.

"You forgot about me, the Adorable Bunny Scout Trooper, Kyon-Kyon!" Momiji jumper onto Kyo from out of nowhere and hit him with a red dodgeball.

"Tag! You're it!"

"...This isn't tag... I thought we were playing dodgeball..." Yuki trailed off. "YAY! I win!" Momiji cheered, sitting ontop of Kyo's shoulders.

"Grrrr... Why you no good dirty little -- !" Kyo yanked Momiji off from ontop of his shoulders and grabbed his ears, brginning to twist and pull on them.

"Ow! OW! Kyo's being a sore loser, Kyo's being a sore loser!" Momiji whined. "As always." Yuki sighed. "Shut up Momiji! That's what you get for sneaking up on me like that!" Kyo snapped.

"It's okay Kyo-kun, you still have a chance to win the other two games." Tohru ran up to Kyo wit hYuki. "Oh... Tohru... Hey... I'm sorry about... Earlier. You know that I didn't mean to hurt you... Right?" Kyo apologized to the onigiri.

Tohru nodded. "Um- hm! I know! And it's okay, Kyo-kun! I forgive you!" Tohru smiled. _"Good. I'm glad... That she said that." _Kyo thought.

"You can put Momiji down now, you now. Don't kill the little giy. It's only a game." Arisa crossed her arms. "Stupid cat. Such a bad sport." Yuki muttered.

"Just be quiet for once! I can't do anything without you being there to make a damn comment about me bring wrong, can I?!" Kyo retorted. "Just leave me alone and shut up for once!"

Yuki walked up to Kyo. "And what if I don't want to?" The Prince inquired. "Then I'll give you a reason to want to." Kyo cracked his knuckles. "Fight me now, Yuki! And this time, I'll beat you!"

"Please. Don't you ever get tired of using your fist to try and solve your problems." Yuki sighed, getting in a fighting stacne. "But if it's a fight you want, then I'll give you one. And you _know_ you'll lose."

"Shut up. You think you're so much better than everyone, but you aren't! All you are is a stupid Rat that pretends to be so high and mighty because all he is... Is Akito's pawn!" Kyo snapped angrily.

Yuki gasped. Kyo had never announced something like that in public in front of anyone outside of the Sohma family before. And boy was he gonna regret saying it.

Before anything else could be said our done, a bucket of ice cold water was thrown on Kyo.

"Mayuko... Sensei?" Yuki blinked a few times. Mayuko swung the now empty bucket over her shoulder, sticking her free hand into her pocket. Grrrr... WHY DIDN'T YOU GET HIM TOO?!" Kyo blared.

"Don't you get it? The two of you... You need to stop arguing so much. All of this hatred flowing between the two of you... When are you going to realize that you're both... Made the same way? You're both... Akito's pawns. So don't get on Yuki about that, Kyo, and Yuki, don't get on Kyo for every mistake he makes." Arisa began.

"If there's anything I've realized from watching the two of you argue so often, it's... You're both just letting your anger out on each other. What true reason do you have to hate each other? Personally? Not because of what zodiac animal you may be... But as a person."

"Why do the two of you insist on being this way? I can see why Rena's always so hard on you, Kyo... Why she's always so mean to you. It's BECAUSE... She knows that the two of you are made the same way. And by treating you this way... It help direct your anger towards her, and away from Yuki."

"She... Has weird ways of doing it, but her motivations are correct. Yuki... You understand that you can no longer argue and fight with Kyo like this... Don't you? You understand... That by doing so... You will help Kyo see... That you're not some superior being. You're not perfect. You're the same as he is. And the both of you should act as so."

"Conduct yourselves... As though you know that. Especially with the whole Future thing going on. You and Kyo... Are just the same. And not just Yuki needs to lay off of him... Everyone does. Tsujitani... Hatsuharu... Kagura... Even myself. And I'm sure that when you start acting accordingly... Rena will lay off of you."

"You and Yuki were made the same way. There are more things alike about the two of you than different. Both of your feelings for Tohru-kun is prove enough of that... Isn't it? So remember that... The two of you are made the same. And you both... Will be judged the same, when the time comes." Arisa finished.

"Judged the same? By who?" Yuki inquired. "By... Why hello Mayu-sensei!" Arisa changed the subject. "Interesting topic... Why'd you so suddenly stop?" Mayuko asked.

"I just got caught up in the moment lecturing the boys. Someone's gotta set them straight." Arisa grinned, swunging her arms loosely around Kyo and Yuki's necks.

_"What's worst it... She's right." _Yuki thought. _"I can't allow myself to forget... That Kyo and I are made the same way. We are both part of this curse, and we are both Akito's pawns. Akito has the same control over me as he does Kyo. We were made the same."_

_"Arigatou... Uotani-san. You helped me remember... That Kyo and I were made the same. And it's time I do start acting like it. Because if I, the one Kyo sees as the "superior "one doesn't act accordingly... Then the "inferior" one will not either."_

_"If I stoop down to his level... Then there is no way he will mature and open his eyes to the truth. He knows, I know he does. But as long as I do not act accordingly... Neither will he."_

_"...Forgive me, Uotani-san. I will not act so foolishly any longer. I have no right or place to judge Kyo, when we will bothe judged the same. When we are both equal. He has to realize that. To accept that fact. So no more. I will no longer... Play his game. I will no longer... Fight with him."_

"Listen up you guys, school's over in an hour, so you might as well go outside and do something with yoursleves. I don't want to be held responsible if you guys do something stupid." Mayuko began to walk away.

"MAYU-SNESEI!!"

Mayuko turned around to see Rena charging at her. "Holy sh - " Before Mayuko was even able to finish her sentence, Rena jumped ontop of her, causing Mayuko to fall to the ground while Rena sat on her.

"Hi Mayu-sensei!" Where have you been? Didja miss me?" Rena asked, smiling brightly. "See, t_his_ is the kind of stupidity I'm talking about!" Mayuko exclaimed.

"And HOW many times have I TOLD you?! - DON'T call me Mayu-sensei! Call me, The Great Teacher Mayuko!"

"You should join us at our picnic!" Rena's eyes became stars, staring at Mayuko and holding her hands together. "Please? Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE?!"

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Mayuko pushed Rena away and stood up. "I've got too much work to do anyway." Mayuko began to leave the gym.

"Besides... I'm meeting up with someone. Someone I haven't hung out with for about 2 years."

_"Great. She's going out on a date with Hatori. This'll give her a chance to catch up on daydreaming about her and there possiblity together." _Hatsuharu thought as he came back, half joking and somehow knowing about Mayuko's love for Hatori.

"She seems to be in an awful hurry... I wonder what's up with her?..." Rena blinked a few times. "Am I imagining things, or was she blushing when she started talking about meeting up with that mysterious person ofhers? Hmm... Maybe it was just my imagination..."

"Hey you guys, let's go outside!" Rena suggested. "Yeah, let's!" Arisa agreed. "That's fine with me." Hanajima shrugged. "I'm ready to play outside!" Momiji exclaimed.

"I'm up for it." Hatsuharu replied. "How about you, Honda-san?" Yuki asked Tohru. "Hai! Let's go!" Tohru answered happily.

"Come with me then." Kyo and Yuki said in a fusion.

-Silence-

"Don't copy me." Yuki crossed his arms. "Me?! Copying _you?!_ Ha! I'd die first!" Kyo retorted. "Then why don't you? It'd make things a whole lot easier for everyone else." Yuki said coldly.

"Everyone would be a whole lot happier that way."

"Yuki-kun..." Tohru trailed off, shocked. "Don't worry, Tohru. Yuki knows what he's doing." Hanajima put a shoulder on Tohru's shoulder.

Kyo's eyes widened.

_"It's all your fault! You're the one to blame! Your mother loved you more that anything! You ungrateful child! Things would've been better for her if you were never born!_

_"It IS you fault! You killed you mother! Your poor mother... She gave birth to a monster in human skin like yourself and bravely protected you... RAISED you... But in the end, it was too much for her! You killed her! And you won't even mourn your own mother's death! None of that suffering and sacrificed would've happened... She would still be alive right now... If you had just died! If you never were born!"_

_"Kyo, don't you understand your mother's feelings? She KILLED herself because of you, that was no accident! Don't you understand how hard it was on her? Can a monster like you understand?"_

_"YOU should've been the one to die. No matter how you look at it... Everyone would've been a lot happier if you had never been born."_

_"I won't forgive you for what you've done, Kyo. I won't forgive you. I've NEVER forgive you..."_

Kyo swallowed hard, trying his best to ignore the painful memories surfacing. "...I... I won't argue with you about it. I won't yell or deny it. Because... I know it's the truth. Still... Even if it wasn't... I'd only be wasting my breath yelling at an idiot like you." Kyo responded.

Yuki smield to himself. _"I don't knwo what got to him... Uotani-san... Or his painful memories. I'm sure his bad temper will surface again, and I'm sure there will be more arguements to follow. But... As long as he still has those painful memories... And as long as he Uotani's words echo through his mind... Then he while at least be aware of the fact... That we were made the same." _

"Kyo-kun... Will you walk with me instead? If I'm not to much of a bother?" Rena asked. _"I don't know what happened when I was gone... But something did. And it's helping Kyo realize... He doesn't need all of that extra hate, that unecessary anger. He and Yuki were made the same. And I know he's aware of it. Because if he wasn't... He would've snapped right back at Yuki for saying something as cruel as that."_

_"It may take a long time... Still... Slowly but surely... Kyo-kun will progress. And become a better person. He will accept the truth, not put the blame on someone else or block it out. It's... The only way he's ever recover. The only way... I can entrust him to it. The Blade of the Phoenix..."_

"Eh?" Kyo looked back at Arisa. Arisa shrugged before giving Kyo a wink. _"Even I myself can't say I will completely stop arguing or getting on Kyo's back. Doing that... It makes life so much easier for us. Especially for the Sohma Family. But... It;s about time we all stop... Using Kyo as a comfort. We have to help him recover. Or he'll never live up to his prophecy: The Great Lord of Flames."_

_"Even more than that... We have to help him... Or he will lose himself to the Darkness. He and Yuki are made the same. He is not inferior nor superior to Yuki. And everything... Isn't his fault. No matter how much it comforts us to put our blames and worries on him."_

_"So to do my part... I'll try to help as much as I can, even if it means trying harder to get along with him. Because if Kyo loses it and his monster takes over... If Kyo loses himself... We are all part to blame."_

_"This all... May not make 100 percent sense to him... But soon enough, it will. He will soon understand what we mean by 'You and Yuki will be judged the same.'. After all... All things on Earth are revealed. When the time is right. Tsujitani and her secrets... Are a prime example of that."_

"Come on Kyo! Let's go!" Kagura took Kyo's other arm, joing Rena. The two girls ran outside with Kyo, laughing. _"Kyo... I don't know what much I can do that will make a big impact..." _Kagura began.

_"But I know that I can start by stop forcing myself on you. By... Giving you space. Stop trying to control... Your feeling. I will do all that I can... To help. I don't exactly understand why... But I know... If Tohru-kun can do it... Then there's no excuse for us not to."_

_"Tohru-kun doesn't put all her troubles and worries and blame on you as relief. Tohru-kun doesn't try to hurt you. Tohru-kun only thinks of you, and tries to help you, even if it hurts herself."_

_"So... I will follow Tohru-kun's example, Kyo-kun. And stop using you to make myself feel good. For now on... I will do my best... T o put your needs... Before my wants. For your sake."_

"Kyo-kun... Let's be friends, okay?" Rena smiled at Kyo. "I mean _real_ friends. I promise I'll stop being so mean to you now. I'll be a friend to you now, and care. Okay?"

"O...kay..." Kyo trailed off. _"What's going on? Why is everyone being so nice all of a sudden? Do they all know... Something about me... That I don't? They know something's going to happen... That I'm oblivious of?" _Kyo thought.

_"That has to be it... Why else would they all be acting this way all of a sudden? Like magic? And if that wasn't the case... Then why is Rena being so nice? Why is she smiling so... Sadly? Why is she looking at me... With apologetic eyes? Like she's done something... Unforgivable to me?"_

"All Dark Secrets must come out into the Light eventually, Kyo-kun... And I feel that time is near. Forgive me for my sin and forgive me for the wrong I did to you... In the past." Rena whispered, so that only Kyo could hear.

Kyo's eyes widened. _"What's going on around here? What Dark Secrets... Is she hiding from us? What is it... That she wants fogiveness about?" _Kyo pondered.

_**"You are about to find out, Kyo Sohma. My indelible sins... Have effected both you and Rena. Soon... Both mine and Rena's dark secrets... Will surface. And be revealed to the Light."**_

_"Who... Who's voice... Was that? Who... Said that?" _Kyo wondered.

But there was no reply.

The voice was gone.

Along with the Dark Secrets.

For now...

**Me: End of chapter... 22?**

**SWD: I think so...**

**Me: And there you have it! Rena is now being nice to Kyo for once lol. All of you that have wanted this, be grateful, because I'll spoil something for you... When Kyo learns a certain secret about Rena... He tries to kill her, and begins to hate her! **

**Rena: WHAT?! KILL ME?!**

**Kyo: She may be annoying, but I don't hate her. Why would I want to kill her?**

**Me: Why, I do wonder... (smirks)**

**Kyo: EGP,**

**Me: Ja ne! Read and review please!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Me: Chello dear readers! Welcome back to another chapter of my nice little story!**

**Kyo: Nice?**

**Me: YES. NICE.**

**Kyo: ...Whatever.**

**Me: Well, Kyon-Kyon, since it's only you and me... Why don't you start the chapter?**

**Kyo: ...**

**Me: Kyo-chan?**

**Kyo: ...(sighs and begins mumbling) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena and this story.**

Chapter Twenty Three

"AH! It's so nice out here..." Tohru strectched out. "Yeah, whatever." Kyo rolled his eyes. "Alright people, we have only an hour left to play two games _and_ have a nice relaxing picnic, so we've gotta hustle." Arisa interrupted the tranquility.

"Well, it _was_ nice out here..." Yuki murmured. "Alright, we're getting into teams of two, so only those who haven't won a game yet can play!" Kagura informed.

"That's no fair!" Momiji pouted. "It's so that everyone can win a prize, Momiji-kun. It so that if everyone at least have a chance to get a prize." Tohru explained.

"Alright, so this is how we will be paired up - me and Tohru are going to switch off, so that we both can play one round. And Uotani-chan and Hanajima-chan will be partners." Kagura told everyone.

"I'm playing in this round, and Tohru will be playing in the next, in a pattern like that."

"Wait a minute... If you're playing this round... Amd those yankees are being partnered... And I'm the only person left other than you, and you don't have a partner... That means..." Kyo stopped.

-Silece-

"HELL NO. I AIN'T DOIN' IT. I WONT GO THROUGH WITH THIS." Kyo insisted. "Oh come ON Kyo! You're acting like she just asked you to bear her child. She just wants to play with you. As a friend." Rena tried to calm the unpleased neko.

"AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM. I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH HER. ANYONE _BUT_ HER. EVEN THAT DAMN RAT YUKI IS BETTER THAN HER." Kyo responded.

"Kyo, think of it this way, if you hurry up and play with Kagura in Badminton... Then you can play with Tohru in volleyball. And then you'll be able to sit next to her when we have our picnic." Rena pointed out.

"Yeah, I can't wait to be your partner, Kyo-kun! I really want to play volleyball with you!" Tohru smiled. "...Oh alright. But I'm only doing it because Tohru has that stupid grin on her face again." Ky oinsisted, blushing.

"Suuuuuuuure, and that's reeeeaaally what the blush tells us, right?" Arisa smirked. "Kyo's got the hots, Kyo's got the hots!" Momiji chanted in a whisper.

"I DO NOT!!" Kyo yelled at Momiji, overhearing his whispers. "Okay, okay, break it up, and let's start the game!" Rena pushed Kyo to his end of the tennis court, forcing him to walk to it.

"Here. You'll need this." Rena handed Kyo a tennis racket, walking away. "Come on Hanajima, let's teach those two the meaning of defeat!" Arisa grabbed her racket, handing Hanajima hers and running to their end of the tennis court. Hanajima slowly trailed after Arisa.

"Kyo-kun!" Kagura waved her racket in the air, running towards Kyo. "Dammit. Here it comes." Kyo groaned, bracing himself. "KYO-KUN!! Kagura hugged Kyo.

"Would you get off of me already?!" Kyo shrugged Kagura mintues later, seeing that she hadn't planned on letting go of him. "I'm... Not in the mood for that right now. Sorry. I just... Need space to think and play." Kyo turned away his head away from Kagura.

With great hesitation, Kagura released Kyo. "R... Right. Gomen ne." Kagura apologized. Kyo looked back to Kagura, confused. _"Wha... What? She __actually__ listened to me for once?" _Kyo thought.

"Ready... Set... GOOOO!" Rena blew the whistle hard. "Here I come!" Arisa warned Kyo and Kagura, smacking the birdy towards them. "Kyo-kun... Is something wrong?" Kagura asked, hitting the birdy back to Arisa and Hanajima.

Kyo thought for amoment. "Nah. I just... Don't feel good. That's all." Kyo replied.

That just happened to be the truth. Ever since Kyo heard that strange voice in his head, her started feeling streange. What was that feeling? Illness? Disgust? Irritation? Anger? Bitterness? He couldn't tell.

All he knew was it made his feel sick, because it was a very strong feeling in the pits of his stomach.

Kagura hit the birdy back at the opposing team. "Oh my! Do you have a fever or something?" Kagura felt Kyo's forehead. "Look out, Kagura!" Kyo quickly ran to hit the birdy back.

And fell over Kagura in the process.

For a moment, they stayed in their position blushing, Kyo over Kagura. But that was only for a hot second, because Kyo bounced right back up and whack the birdy back to Arisa and Hanajima.

"Here. I'll help you up." Kyo help his hand out to Kagura. "T... Thanks." Kagura thanked the neko, taking his hand. As soon as Kagura was back on her feet, she snapped around and hit the birdy hard back to Arisa and Hanajima.

"Nice one." Kyo hit the birdy. "Thanks... Kyo-chan." Kagura smiled. The two alternated, taking turns hitting the birdy unless the other absolutely couldn't get the birdy and the other saved it.

"They're going faster and faster..." Kagura trailed off. "Nothing you and I can't handle if we work together as friends." Kyo responded, slightly smiling at Kagura.

"We can beat them, if we work together as friends."

"K... Kyo... chan..." Kagura whispered. _"You're right. We... Can't get anything accomplished... With me trying to force my love on you again. So... I'll play this game with you, Kyo-chan. And we'll... Be friends."_

_"I remember... What I did to you, still. And I know you do to, Kyo-chan. I remember... I time when we were best friends, Kyo-chan. Before... I ran away from you..." _

_"I remember... That day I half threatened you to go on a date with me... And we recalled those painful memories..."_

**Beginning of Flashback**

_It was a normal afternoon for young Kyo Sohma. He was sitting on the ground, drawing into the dirt, not too far away from the Main House. _

_As usual, he was playing with himself, since he had no friends._

_Everything was going just as it normally goes._

_Until an unexpected visitor came and talked to Kyo._

_"Kyo-chan... __**You're**__ the __**Cat**__... Right, Kyo-chan?" A girl with short black hair and friendly brown yes asked Kyo. The young oranged headed and oranged eyed boy looked up at the girl, staring at her for a minute._

_"Me... I'm Kagura." Kagura introduced herself. Kyo suddenly turned and began to dash away. "Huh?! Why are you running away?!" Kagura ran after Kyo. "Sh-She'll get mad! My mom... Says I shouldn't talk to strangers." Kyo explained as Kyo grabbed his foot._

_She wont get mad! I'm __**like you**__! I'm in the __**zodiac**__! I'm the __**Boar**__!" Kagura told the young neko, dragging him. Kyo sat up as soon as Kagura finished dragging him back, remaining silent._

_"Hey, what were you drawing? Fried eggs? Do you like fried eggs?" Kagura asked._

_"..."_

_"Do you always play by yourself? Don't you have any friends?" Kagura watched Kyo draw even more fried eggs._

_"What else do you like, Kyo-chan? What's your favorite TV show?"_

_"I don't watch TV. Mom says that... It's full of bad things. She gets mad... When I watch it."_

_Kagura and Kyo were silent for a moment._

_"Say... Want me to play with you?" Kagura finally asked. "Really?!" Kyo exclaimed. "Yeah! Of course, really! starting today... I'll be with you!" Kagura took Kyo's hand and pulled his up._

_"I'll always be by your side!"_

_**"Kyo-kun... Kyo-kun, I'm... Terrible... Aren't I?"**_

--

_"Hey, just for a little! Just for a little bit... Letme wear those beads!" Kagura reasoned with Kyo, pulling on his braclet. Kyo tried to force Kagura away, but she had a good grip on his hand._

_Kagura yanked the braclet from around Kyo's wrist,_

_**"You... Didn't want to, Kyo-kun. But I... Forced you."**_

_Moments later, a large green monster with a horrible stench was staring down at Kagura, its sharp yellow eyes piercing her. Kagura gasped, taking a shaky step back. _

_Kagura brought her hands up to her mouth before letting out a high pitched scream._

_"__**EEEEEK!!" **__Kagura screamed, running away from Kyo in his truest form, leaving Kyo behind._

--

Kagura was standing with Kyo at the place where that memory had taken place all of those years ago. They were on a date, but only because she had half threatened him.

_"Out with it, Kyo-kun! What souvenir did you bring me from the summer house?"_

_"Nothing"_

_"MEANIE! IS THAT ANYWAY TO TREAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND?! "_

_"Kagura...!"_

_"YOU HAVE NO LOVE!! NO LOVE!"_

_"Kagura...! There's something... I want to tell you. There's something i have to make clear. I - "_

_"Let's go on a date!"_

_"...Ah?"_

_"Let's go on a date, Kyo-kun! If you go on a date with me, I'll listen to what you have to say! If you don't, I won't listen!"_

_"Just a... Wait a minute, what are you... "_

_"I'll never... For my whole entire life... Listen to what you have to say!"_

_"..."_

_"...Please... Just a little longer. Just humor me a little longer."_

"After that day... The day I saw your true form... Your mom... Let you out less and less, didn't she, Kyo-kun? And youm Kyo-kun... Started to **avoid** me. From that moment on... You would keep your distance." Kagura began telling Kyo.

"But... That wasn't it... I mean..."

_"I was the one who started distancing herself first." _Kyo thought.

"Kyo-kun.. You know, I... I... I was **sad** that I was born... Possessed by a vengeful spirit. After all... When I was young... My parents often fought because of me. Whenever I saw Mama crying by herself afterwards... It made my really sad. Back then... I hated myself so much, I couldn't stand it. I thought I was the **worst person** on earth." Kagura contined.

"But then... On the day I met you, Kyo-kun... I was happy. I was... **Relieved**. I realized that... Compared to the Cat... I had it easy."

_"Compared to... Compared to a kid... Who drew fried eggs in the dirt.. All by himself... I wasn't so bad after all. I wasn't pitied and I wasn't ostracized. Not like this boy..." _Kagura thought.

"Yes... Because I realized I could feel good about myself. That's why... I was with you. I was always... Looking down on you, Kyo-kun." Kagura stopped.

Kyo remained silent, watching his older cousin.

_"It's terrible, isn't it? I feel so... Dirty. That day... I ran away from you... I was afraid with all my part, That part of me... Seemed dirty. It seemed so dirty, I couldn't stand it." _Kagura thought.

_"It seemed so dirty, I couldn't stand it. I __**hated**__ it. I wanted to do it over again. I wanted you... To forget it ever happened. I dreamed of becoming a "clean me" who accepted "Kyo-kun the Monster. I didn't realize how dirty that thought itself was."_

"I thought that if I could like you, Kyo-kun... If I could shorten the distance between us, And if you would like me back... Then the me that ran away -- The **dirty me**... Would be washed away. That's what I believed." Kagura confessed.

_"It was... A __**forced**__ love. But then... When I sae her chasing after you... I realized... Just how foolish I was. I was blind to __**your**__ pain, Kyo-kun. I never thought of your needs." _Kagura realized.

_"Yes, in the end... It was all about __**myself**__. I never thought about the feelings I must have hurt after I deserted you, Kyo-kun. The whole time... I was only chasing after you for myself."_

_"Even though, being deserted... There's no way you wouldn't have been sad."_

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Kyo-kun. I'm sorry..." Kagura bent over, beginning to cry.

_"The whole time..."_

"You... I know this is painful for you. You don't need to say these things... On my behalf." Kyo told Kagura. Kagura looked up at Kyo.

"Kagura... I... won't **"like" **you. I will never... **"like" **you. I just... Wanted to tell you that. Looking down on me, using me.. It doesn't matter. There;s nothing for you... To apologize for."

Kagura stood up. "But... But I **wanted** to say it... My **confession.** I'm glad I could say it. Aahhh, **I feel better!** Now that I feel better, I'm kind of hungry." Kagura stretched.

_"You... Don't have to be so nice. Either way... I knew that it was hopeless. At that time, part of me knew... That I'd never be able to truly get close to you. But still I... Tried to convince myself that I could clode the space betweem us." _Kagura started to think.

_"Kyo-kun... How would you react... If I told you somewhere in my heart, I've given up? Would you cry from relief? I guess you would."_

"Kagura... Regardless of what your reason was, When you played with me.. I was happy." Kyo admitted. "Thanks."

_"It certainly... Was a love that __**started out**__... Forced."_

_"Wait up! Kagura-neechan!"_

_"But the Kyo-kun who called my name... The awkward, innocent Kyo-kun... Before I knew it..." _

"Kyo-chan...! Kyo-chan!" Kagura called for Kyo, tears streaming down her face.

_"There was a part of me... That chased after him because... I wanted to."_

"Kyo-chan... Kyo-chan... Kyo-chan... I do love you... I love you!" Kagura screamed, crying harder. Kyo looked back at Kagura.

_"Believe me! Believe me. Believe me."_

"Thank you." Kyo grabbed Kagura's head gently and pushed her into his chest, giving her comfort. "...Thank you..." Kyo whispered again.

Kagura closed her eyes, and sobbed.

--

"Kagura? You look... What's wrong?" Okaa-san asked her daughter. "It's nothing. I'm... Going to bed." Kagura replied. "Don't tell me it's nothing. Your eyes are so swollen... Did something happen? You poor thing!" Okaa-san pitied Kagura.

"There's nothing... To fel sorry for... On my behalf. I've just been a very selfish girl. For the first time... I was able to see that. Thank you for worrying about me... Mama." Kagura thanked her mother before walking on to her bedroom.

_"I'm sorry... I don't need pity... Or smypathy. I don't expect anyone to understand... These feelings. Feelings of pain, feelings of happiness... They are mine alone."_ Kagura sat down on the floor next to her window, surrounded by pillows and stuffed cat animals.

_"Just like the Kyo-kun from back then... Is mine alone. Unlike me... He didn't say "I'm sorry.". He said, "Thank you.". Oh, Kyo-kun... You stayed by me until I stopped crying. Just you, Kyo-kun. Be mine alone... At least until... This night is over."_

**End of Flashback**

_"Yes... Kyo-chan... I still remember it all very clearly. And I know that you do to. So... I want to play this game with you to it's fullest. Without... Forcing my love on you today." _Kagura looked at Kyo, who was busy playing.

"_There will be a day... Where I will completely stop forcing my love on you. But... Until that day... Please, Kyo-chan... Bear with me until then."_

**(Just so you guys know, I hadn't intended on that little scene between Kagura and Kyo to happen. But... I figured, 'Ah, why not? A nice little scene and flashback dedicated to Kagura and Kyo couldn't do any harm, right?' lol. I hope you guys liked that flashback, straight from the manga! Therefore, it is not mine at all, and belongs to Natsuki Takaya!)**

_"Something seems to happened between Kyo and Kagura... From the looks of it..." _Rena thought. _"I wonder what it was..." _

"Hey you guys, what should we do while we wait for them to finish playing?" Hatsuharu asked. "Rena and I will go back to the cafeteria and make sure everything for the picnic is there." Momiji informed.

Rena glanced at Yuki and Tohru, who were sitting by themselves, talking and laughing. "Don't you want to come with us, Hatsu?" Rena asked.

"Why? I want to stay with Yuki." Hatsuharu replied. "But shouldn't we let Yuki and Tohru be by themselves for a while?" Rena winked.

"...Oh, I get it. You mean you want Yuki and Tohru to - " Hatsuharu was cut short by Rena grabbing the back of his collar and dragging him away.

"Well, bye you two! We'll be back soon! Have fun!" Rena and Momiji zoomed off with Hatsuharu, dodging behind the school building.

"...What up with Tsujitani-san, Haru, And Momiji?" Yuki blinked a few times. "I think they're up to something..." "Maybe they're getting things ready for a surprise!" Tohru suggested.

"Ooh, I know, they want to surprise us with the picnic lunch!"

"...Somehow, I really doubt that's what it was about..." Yuki sweat dropped.

--

"Hatsuharu, you almost blew it!" Rena exclaimed. "Blew what?" Hatsuharu asked obliviously. "DUH! Isn't it obvious?! Yuki loves Tohru! Just like Kyo does!" Rena stated.

"...Yeah... But I don't really think he loves her that way, Rena - " Hatsuharu was discontinued by Rena squealing quickly with stars in her eyes, "AH! I can see the love triangle now, Yuki and Kyo fighting to the death for Tohru's heart, and one of them walking down aisle with Tohru hand in hand, smiling happily at each other before sharing a passionate kiss! Now that's what I call a sight for sore eyes! It's so kawaii! But who will the winner of Tohru's heart be? Kyo? Yuki? Kyo?!"

"...I think you were a little to late, Haru. She's already in Romance Mode." Momiji sweat dropped. Hatsuharu opened his mouth to respond, but stop when he saw a shadow scurring across the ground.

"...Momiji... You know whose shadow _that_ is... Don't you?" Hatsuharu whispered in Momiji's ear, knowing that he had seen it too.

"Was that... One of _his_ shadows?" Momiji asked in a whisper.

Hatsuharu nodded. "We can't let Rena see it - She's follow it and expect to be able to take Akito down here and now. We can't let her try to fight him. Take the princess inside and hide in the cafeteria, seeing she'd go there without much of a question, and don't let her leave until I come to get you both." He ordered.

"And if anything happens... If one of them come..."

"I know, Haru. I'll try not to, but if I have to... I'll use my powers to protect the princess." Momiji nodded. "Come on, Rena-chan! Let's go to the cafeteria now!" Momiji gradded Rena's hand smiling.

"Oh, okay Momiji-kun!" Rena smiled back, snapping out out Romance Mode and letting Momiji lead her inside. Hatsuharu ran to the back of the school.

"You can come out now. I know you're there. Akito." Hatsuharu called. "My, my, I'm a bot surprised to see you, Hatsuharu. First I run into that stupid Momiji brat, and now, I run into you." Akito revealed himself to Hatsuharu.

"Akito. What do you want. Are you trying to spy on us?" The Ox demanded. "Maybe just a _little_." Akito smirked.

"Why are you lurking around the school like this? Shouldn't you be in class or something?"

"But I'm looking for something I've lost."

"And that sometihng would be the Princess... Right?"

"Maybe... Maybe not."

"Well then, I may or may not decide to tell you where she is."

"Are you saying that you won't tell me where she is?"

Hatsuharu fell silent. Akito crossed his arms. "Well... If that is the case... Then I suppose I'lll have to force it out of you." Akito held out his hand, a long two bladed lance magical appearing in his hands.

"Dark Lance!"

**Change in POV**

"I've got this one!" Kyo jumped up and smacked the birdy with all his might. Hanajima countered, swiftly hitting the birdy back. "That was pretty good, Kyo. But you'll have to do better than _that_." She told the two Juunishi members.

"Oh, you've got better coming your way!" Kagura grinned.

--

"Yuki, isn't this just exciting? Tohru asked the Rat of the Juunishi. "I suppose it is, if _you_ think so, Honda-san." Yuki replied. "Do you want to sit down? I'll go back and get you a chair."

"Oh no! I couldn't let you do that! That would be asking way too much of you!" Tohru exclaimed. "_For you, Honda-san... there is never too much I could do." _Yuki thought.

_"There's never enough I can do to repay you for all the joy and happiness you've brought into my life."_

"Okay. If you're sure you don't want me to, Honda-san..." Yuki trailed off. "You can't go, Yuki-kun! You have to help me cheer Uo-chan, Hana-chan, Kagura-chan, and Kyo-kun on! GO UO-CHAN! GO HANA-CHAN! GO KAGURA-CHAN! GO KYO-KUN! YOU GUYS CAN DO IT! YOU CAN WIN!" Tohru cheered both teams on.

"You know, Honda-san, _two of them_ have to lose at _some point_, or there will be no winner." Yuki pointed out.

**Change in POV**

Hatsuharu did a backflip and jumped back, dodging Akito's Dark Lance. "My, my Hatsuharu, you're as lively and flexible as ever." Akito swung the lance over his shoulder.

"...No, Akito. That wasn't what I was saying. I won't tell you where Rena is... That's not what I'm saying at all. What I'm saying is... If you want me to lead you to her... Then you'll have to explain why you're trying to torture her so much." Hatsuharu answered.

"What is your purpose?"

"Why should I explain myself to an inferior lowlife such as yourself? It should be the other way around - Don't you agree?" Akito responded.

"If you have no acceptable purpose... Then I cannot allow you to see the princess. She's frightened of you. DOn't yo understand? Telling you where she is would be like betraying her." Hatsuharu replied.

Unseen by Hatsuharu, a shadow raced up behind Akito. _"Hm? The cafeteria, you say?" _Akito thought. _"Well, I suppose I'll play with game with Hatsuharu for a moment longer. Just for the fun of it."_

**Change in POV**

"Momiji-kun, where did Hatsu go?" Rena asked. "Wasn't he with us a while ago?" "...He probably just went out ot the back of the school or something." Momiji blurted out, not thinking.

"I'll go get him then! We'll need a hand carrying all this stuff outside!" Rena walked towards the door. "No!" Momiji grabbed Rena hand, pulling on it and stopping her from leaving.

"Don't leave... Stay with me! Let's... Just take care of the picnic stuff. Haru's probably coming right now anyway!" Momiji insisted that Rena didn't leave.

_"I can feel it... The Akuryous... They're getting closer and closer. I can sense they're evil aura and prescence. Have they already found us?" _Momiji wondered.

"Please refrain from leaving, Rena-hime." "...Okay. Fine then. I'll stay with you. But only because I can't resist your cute innocence!" Rena sighed.

"Good." Momiji smiled. _"I know how she wants me to be careful... With that perticular power... But since we're trapped inside with no way out if the Akuryous come... Then... I'll have to us it. I'll have to us the powers of... Time." _

**Change in POV**

The birdy shot into the air, racing towards Kyo and Kagura. "Kyo, get it!" Kagura cried. "I can't reach it!" "I'm trying!" Kyo ran after the birdy and raised his racket.

"I've almost... Got it... Just a little... Closer..."

**(The wind suddenly decided to blow it around. Ha ha...)**

"Go Kyo-kun! You can do it!" Tohru cheered. "Oh, so you're choosing sides now." Arisa crossed her arms. "N - NO! I'm not choosing sides! I just... I didn't mean to! That's not what I mean! I mean... I mean... Gomen ne! I'm sorry!" Tohru panicked.

"I was just messin' with you, Tohru. It's okay." Arisa laughed. "Got it!" Kyo swung at the birdy. Suddenly the birdy stopped in mid air, drew back, caused Kyo to miss, and hit the ground.

**(Or maybe it wasn't the wind after all... lol)**

"You lose." Hanajima informed the Cat of the Juunishi. "You...! You cheated! You used your freaky powers!" Kyo accused Hanajima.

"Are you saying I cheated?"

"YES!"

"How so?"

"YOU USED THOSE DAMNED POWERS OF YOURS!!"

"What powers are you talking about?"

Grrrrrr... DON'T PLAY DUMB!!"

"Okay, okay, Break it up you two." Kagura pushed Kyo away. "Yeah, Orangey. At least now you can _play _with _Tohru._: Arisa smirked.

"Shut up." Kyo growled.

"YAY! KYO-KUN!" Tohru hugged Kyo's arm. "We get to play together now!" "Tohru," Kyo blushed, but was interrupted by...

_**POOF!**_

"AH! Ky- Kyo-kun! I'm s - sorry! So- so very! Gomen ne! Gomen nasai!" Tohru apologized quickly, holding up the orange cat.

"It's okay. I'm not mad. Really." Kyo gritted his teeth, his veins popping out of his head. Yuki covered his mouth and turned away, hiding his chuckles from the other.

**Change in POV**

"Betraying _her?_ That damned... _Girl?_ Well by _not _telling me where she is... You're betraying _me._" Akito sneered. "Then I guess that's what I must do." Hatsuharu retorted.

"I don't really care whether or not you tell me where she is, Hatsuharu. I already know she;s inside the cafeteria. She'll have to come out of there sooner or later. And when she does... I'll be able to finally have a nice little chat wirth her." Akito turned away from the Ox.

"Well, this has been fun, Hatsuharu, but I really must be heading back to class now. But you can tell Rena this - I'll be there to get her soon enough. She'll have to pay for Inami's indelible sin sooner or later. He fate is inevitable."

And with that, Akito began walking away. _"Inami? Who the hell is that? And what does Rena have to do with her so called 'indelible sin'? What exactly is her fate? And why is it inevitable? Does he mean it's already written in stone? Does he mean her fate is a priphecy of some sort?" _Hatsuahru wondered.

"That guy gives me the creeps." Hatsuharu muttered, walking away. "He was actually smiling... That can't be good. What's gotten him so happy all of a sudden?"

" Come to think of it... How did he know where Rena was? He didn't even see her go into the building..." Hatsuharu trailed off. "How could he have known?"

The Ox watched a shadow slowly make it's way into the school. "...Dammit! They're in trouble! The Akuryous! Momiji! Rena!" Hatsuharu ran towards the school.

"Am I already too late?!"

**Change in POV**

"Okay you guys GO!" Kagura blew the whistle. "Heads up!" Arisa served the volleyball, whacking it hard over the net to Kyo and Tohru.

"I've got it!" Kyo hit the volleyball back to Arisa and Hanajima.

This time, Hanajima sent it back

"Let me try!" Tohru hit the ball, it just barely making it over the net. "Wow! I acvtually hit it!" Tohru cried. "Amazing, isn't it?" Kyo teased, smacking the ball back at his opponets.

"Listen here, Tohru, don't celebrate just yet, okay? We still haven't won yet." "But naturally, Honda-san will win. And YOU will make sure of it." Yuki replied.

"I didn't ask you, you damn rat!" Kyo growled. "Hey Orangey, Pay Attention! I ain't payin' ya to stand there and talk! Give me a damn challenge!" Arisa hit the ball with all her might at Kyo.

"You aren't even paying me, stupid!" Kyo hit the ball back. "And I probably never will." Arisa smirked.

**Change in POV**

"Okay, there's Hanajima-san's stuff in this cooler, and in this cooler, there's the ice cream, brownies, the ume konbu, and the riceballs." Rena informed the Rabbit.

"What's in this basket?"

"The cookies, kuzumochi, Odangoes, plates, forks, bowls, and napkins are in this basket." Momiji answered. "Alright, we should be ready to g - " Rena was stopped by the ground unter there feet shaking.

"Ah! What's happening?" Rena grabbed onto Momiji's shoulder, trying to keep herself steady. Momiji held himself up, his hand on the counter to help him balance.

"Stay behind me, Rena-hime! It's the Akuryous! They're coming! And it's only effecting this room!" Momiji explained. "I can take them!" Rena snorted.

"No! It's... Too close! You can't use any of your powers until tomorrow night! You know that!" Momiji exclaimed. "But Momiji-kun..." Rena murmured.

"I can't take this many of them at one time. I'm not like you guys. I'm not good at one on one combat. But... I can hold them off. At least until Haru comes back." Momiji assured Rena.

"With... Your Guardian powers?" Rena whispered. Momiji nodded. "I'll... Be careful. I promise you." Momiji assured the Supreme Princess.

"Stay behind me."

Momiji closed his eyes. He concentrated on the power flowing through him, beginning to slightly float in the air. Momiji held his arms out.

"Staff... Of... Time!"

A long staff appeared in Momiji's hands. The door busted open, hundreds and hundreds of Akuryous rushing in. The door bolted shut behind them.

"Shield of Time!"

A large, transparent, complex looking clock appeared before Momiji, shielding Rena and himself, and preventing the evil spirits from being able to reach them.

The angered spirits howled and rushed at shield, weakening it. Hundreds at a time rammed into Momiji's defense shield. "Momiji-kun!" Rena cried, seeing that he was struggling to keep the shield up.

"I... Can... Handle this!" Momiji gritted his teeth, holding his staff out and doing his best, strengthening his shield. The shiled was weakened and strengthen, still standing, but looking a bit unstable.

"Momiji-kun, you're not use to this kind of asserting your power! Let me help you! Please! You'll hurt yourself!" Rena grabbed Momiji.

"No! You can't use your powers until tomorrow night! I keep telling you that! Just stand back and let me protect you!" Momiji yelled.

"I want to protect you! So let me, Imotou-san! Let me protect you! Like a big brother should! Let me!"

Rena gasped. "Momiji-kun... Momiji-kun!" Rena ran into Momiji, hugging him from behind. "No... No! You don't have to try so hard... Just to protect me!"

"We need you tomorrow night, Rena-chan. The least I can do is... Protect the only one who stands a chance." Momiji smiled back at Rena.

"We need you tomorrow night. So promise me... You'll give it your all. If you promise... Then I swear, Rena-chan... I will protect you with my life."

Rena felt herslef begin to cry. "Momiji-kun..."

"Rena! Momiji! Open the door!"

"Hatsuharu?! We can't open the door! We can't get out! There's too many Akuryou's blocking the way!" Rena yelled so that Hatsuharu could hear her.

Momiji and Rena heard banging on the door. "Momiji-kun, how much longer do you think you'll be able to stand this?" Rena asked the Juunishi Rabbit.

"My shield... It'll last for a little while longer. In the mean time... I'll have to try something." Momiji took a step back. Momiji held his staff up in the air.

"Pause!"

Suddenly, the Akuryous stopped. They were all frozen in place, unable to move as though they had been paralyzed. "Rena-chan... Let's make a run for the door. And try to let Haru in. Okay?" Momiji grabbed Rena's hand.

"There's so many of them... They'll only stay frozen for a few more seconds."

"Well then let's go!" Rena ran towards the door. Momiji wrapped one arm around Rena and ran behind her, covering her while holding his staff up.

The Akuryous started to begain the ability to move. "We're at the door! Hurry, Momiji-kun!" Rena screamed as the Akuryous rushed at them. Not having enough time to put up a barrier, Momiji pulled Rena into his arms and pushed her back into the corner of the room, shielding her with his own body.

Akuryous rushed at Momiji, attacking him. Momiji let out a howl of pain, raising his staff. "Shield... Of Time!" Momiji struggled.

The shield returned, putting the protective field back in between Rena and Momiji and the Akuryous. "Momiji-kun! You're back!" Rena cried.

"I'm okay... Really Rena-chan. Help Hatsuharu... Open the door." Momiji tried to stand up staight, but fell to his knees. Rena crouched down, holding Momiji up.

"Momiji... Let me see your back." Rena ordered. "I'm... Okay." Momiji insisted. "Still, I want to see how bad your were hurt. Don't disobey me, Momiji. I am your Princess, and this is a direct order. Allow me to see your injury." Rena commanded with her authority voice.

Reluctantly, Momiji turned to Rena, allowing her to see his back. His back was skinned, bloody, and bruised up. Rena gently touched Momiji's back, receiving a hiss of pain from the rabbit.

"Momiji... If you can keep the barrier up for long enough... I think I'll be able to heal your back." Rena told Momiji. "And don't start with all that 'you can't use your powers' crap. I'm going to heal you, and that's final!"

"...Strengthing of Time!" Momiji held up his staff, strengthening the Time Shield. "Rena! Momiji! Can you hear me? Are the two of you okay?" Hatsuharu hollered from outside of the door.

"Yeah! We're fine! I'll help you in in a minute! But for now... Try to let yourself in!" Rena called back, placing her hands firmly on Momiji's back.

Momiji stiffled a cry of pain.

Rena closed her eyes, praying. _"Please... Please... Please... O Great Guardian of Light, Thy Protector and Guard of Eternal Light, Please... Hikari Shiroii-san... Heal this boy!"_

"Is that your desire...Princess?"

_"Yes... Lend me your power and strength, Shiroii-san... And allow me to heal my Onii-chan!"_

"...As you wish."

Soon, pulsations of light escaped Rena's hand, beginning its process of healing. The glowing light soon covered Momiji's injuried back.

Rena opened her eyes, and inside of them being black, they were now white. **(which actually looked pretty normal on her. Her mothers and older brother's eyes were white, while her father's were black)**

"Light... Restoration!" Rena shouted. Light emerged from Rena's body, engulfing her and Momiji both. The Time Shield shattered, vanishing. The purifying light demolished three-fourths of the Akuryous in the room.

The evil magic blocking the door was weakened greatly, allowing Hatsuharu to be able to ram into the door and break it down. When the light died out, both Rena and Momiji were lying on the floor, seemingly unconscious.

"Momiji!" Hatsuharu ran up to his cousin. "H... Haru?" The Rabbit croaked, sitting up. "My... My back... Is there something wrong with it? The Light... Hurt so much... But... Is it better?"

"What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with your back. There isn't a single scratch on it." Hatsuharu helped Momiji up.

"You'll need a new shirt, though... The back of it's like, gone. It's torn up that badly."

_"Rena-chan..." _Momiji looked back down at the Light Sorceress. _"She... She summoned Hikari Shiroii, the Guardian and Protector of Eternal Light. And she... Healed me. But... Was Hikari's power too much for her? "_

"Rena-hime?" Hatsuharu kneeled down to the princess. "There's so much... Light... So much... Unbelievable power... I can't... Conseal it any longer... I can't..." Rena muttered to herself.

"Rena! Look at me!" Hatsuharu forced Rena to sit up. Rena turned to Hatsuharu with glowing white eyes. "Light... There's... So much light... Light... It's... Everywhere. Everywhere..." Rena muttered even more nonsense.

"Oh no... She took an overdose. She... Shouldn't have used her powers at all! Not a day before the big battle tomorrow! Especially not combined with her Guardians!" Hatsuharu groaned.

"Momiji, take care of her. I'll go finish off those last Akuryous." Hatsuharu held his left arm straight up in the air, a long black stick with a larhe, razor sharp blade on the top of it.

So sharp, it could slice right through plastic without the slightest of problems.

"Naginata of Densetsu..." Momiji whispered. "Man, I have some extra stream to let off, and I'll have fun letting it off on you guys!" Hatsuharu ran towards the spirits.

Skillfully, Hatsuharu sliced through the akuryous, as many at a time as he could. His blade ran through the monster, killing them, and them vanishing.

"Come on, I'm not even trying yet!" Hatsuharu snorted, spinning his blade around in one hand and dicing the akuryous up.

Momiji turned away from Hatsuharu's ramage spree and looked down at Rena. "...What am I suppose to do? How am I suppose to snap her out of it?" Momiji asked himself.

"I've never seen anything like this before..."

Suddenly, Rena stood up, absent mindedly walking towards Hatsuharu. "Light... So much pretty light... So much... Light..." She murmured.

_"...It's the Light. She's being controlled by the Light, and it's drawing her towards the darkest thing in the room so that she can attempted to release all of the light in her body!" _Momiji realized.

"Rena - " Momiji began, but was cut short by a Light Barrier wrapping around him, enclosing him. "Hey! Let me out! Let me out!" Momiji banged on the apparently sound proof barrier.

"...Dak Figures... I can release my light on them..." Rena muttered, getting closer and closer to Hatsuharu and the Akuryous. Only about 10 of them were left now.

"Let's see now... Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three little Akuryous left." Hatsuharu killed seven more of the evil spirits.

Suddenly, the akuryous vanished, and reappeared behind Hatsuharu.

Heading straight for Rena.

"Rena-hime!" Hatsuharu called, running towards her. "Light... So much Light. Let me show you my Light." Rena raised her hand.

"No!" Hatsuharu lunged towards Rena, grabbing her in his arms falling over her, the three akuryous missing them by a millimeter.

Hatsuharu and Rena fell and hit the floor hard, Rena clonking her head against the wooden floor. "Ow... Ow... Hey, what was that for?! That hurt!!" Rena snapped, sitting up and rubbing her head.

Her eyes were back to their normal black color, and the Light Barrier engulfing Momiji disenegrated. "Rena-chan!" Momiji ran up to the Supreme Princess.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I think so... Hatsu... What happened?" Rena asked. "Obviously, for some unfathomable reason, you summoned your Guardian, and combined her Eternal Light with your Light powers, soon taking an overdose, and the Light took over you." Hatsuharu explained.

"Why did you use your powers... Without knowing what the consequences would be?" "Because... Momiji-kun was in a lot of pain. His back... Was skinned, bleeding, and bruised. All because of me.So it was only right... That I did anything and everything I could to help." Rena whispered.

_"Rena-chan... If I had known this would happen...I would've let you do that, not for my own sake. Because... When you needed me the most... When you were experiencing the most painful thing in your life... I... Didn't help you at all. I... Let you suffer. Because I was too scared. Remembering that... Makes me feel so... __**Dirty**__. I wish... I could do it over again... So... So badly..." _Momiji thought

"Momiji-kun... How's your back?" Rena inquired. "Hn? Oh... It's never felt better. Thanks, Rena-chan!" Momiji smiled. "Hold on a moment," Hatsuharu picked up his naginata, and without even turning back, he swung his naginata. slicing right through the three akuryous all at one time.

"...Show off." Rena crossed her arms. "So... How did all of these akuryous get here anyway?" Rena asked. "Isn't it obvious? Akito sent them here. They seemed to be only level... 3?... Akuryous... They were actually pretty weak. But their great numbers made up for that." Hatsuharu replied.

Both Momiji and Hatsuharu held out their weapons, the staff and naginata vanishing. "Akito sent it here... So he's looking for me..." Rena trailed off.

"...Oh well! Let's get all of this stuff and move out! We have a picnic to crash!" Rena stood up, brushing herself off. "How can we crash our own picnic?..." Momiji asked curiously.

"We're _BUNNY SCOUTS, _Momiji. We can do anything we put our minds to!" Rena reminded the Juunishi member. "Oh yah! Bunny Scout Salute!" Momiji's bunny ears popped out of his head with his tongue stuck out, one eye closed, and did the peace sign.

"...That's actually kinda scary, Momiji..." Hatsuharu said bluntly, blinking with his famous blank expression. "Less talk, more work!" Rena handed Hatsuharu the picnic basket as she and Momiji walked out the door with the coolers.

"...She's being pursued by an evil 19 year old that wishes to kill her, even if it means the destruction of the planet and sending thousands of akuryous after her friends and family, which would put everyone's life in danger, and as an answer to all our problems... She hands me a _**picnic basket...**_" Hatsuharu started at the basket.

"...I'm cool with that, I guess." Hatsuharu followed Rena and Momiji outside.

**Me: Okay, now you can't tell me you didn't like that chapter!**

**SWD: It was very long. Long and likable.**

**Kyo: Long, boring, and stupid, more like.**

**Me: Don't be that way, Kyo-kun! I wouldn't want to have to disappoint Ghsneko by **_**hurting**_** you.**

**Kyo: ...**

**SWD: Lol!**

**Me: I was just kidding, Kyo-chan. Anyway, I want to give special thanks to all of my reviewers! I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys! Thank you so much, and I hope I'm typing up the kind of stuff you want to read!**

**Kyo: Read and review please.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Me: Okay, I know that I said that Akito was gonna make his big appearance to Rena in this chapter, but...**

**SWD: She delayed the "big appearance" until the next chapter. **

**Me: Well, he IS gonna show up! Just... Moments before I end the chapter...**

**SWD: EGP's sorry, but Akito's big appearance is in the **_**next**_** chapter.**

**Me: Gomen ne!**

**SWD: It's okay Stini. No one cares about Akito.**

**Kyo: Ain't that the truth?**

**Me: Oh yeah! Kakeru comes in this chapter!**

**Kyo: (glares) _WHAT?!_**

**SWD: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

Chapter Twenty Four

"Okay Tohru, make sure you don't get in the way, because if I get this one, we'll win!" Kyo told the onigiri. "Okay!" Tohru nodded. "I really hope we win!"

"I just want to rub it in that Yankee's face!" Ky ogrinned. "Let's see if you can counter _this_!" Arisa served the ball extra hard, flames surrounding the ball as it sped for Kyo and Tohru.

"Um, Kyo-kun... I think we should let that one go." Tohru warned. "Why should we? It's just a stupid ball that's suddenly on fire. Don't tell me you're afraid of a stupid - "

The volleyball hit Kyo right in his face, knocking him over and making him hit the ground hard in pain. "Kyo-kun!" Tohru turned around to see the injuried neko.

"Are you okay?"

Suddenly, the ball, which had flew into the air after it hit Kyo's face, came back down and hit Tohru hard in the head, bouncing off of her head and flying over the net, hitting the ground on Hanajima and Arisa's side of the court.

"Tohru!" Kyo bounced up, seeing that Tohru was falling. "Kyo-kun!" Tohru reached out and grabbed Kyo's hair accidentally, pulling him down with her.

Tohru and Kyo hit the ground hard.

"Ow... My head..." Tohru clutched her throbbing head that had hit the ground.

"Tohru?! Are you okay?!"

Tohru looked up at Kyo. "Yeah, Kyo-kun... I'm okay." Tohru smiled. "That'd good." Kyo sighed in relief. "Is your head hurting?"

"Not too badly... I told you, Kyo-kun, I'm okay!"

"Sure you are."

"EH?! Really Kyo-kun! I'm just fine! Honestly!!"

"You sure, Tohru? Or are you just saying that so that I won't worry?"

"...I... I am okay, Kyo-kun! I promise!"

"For some reason, I just can't believe you're okay." Kyo chuckled. "If it hurts, then say so, Tohru. You don't have to cover it up. I won't yell at you for being hurt, y'know."

"...Okay... Well... Maybe my head hurts... But no a lot! Only a little bit! It feels a lot better!" Tohru insisted. "Okay. Whatever you say, Tohru." Kyo shook his head.

"You're really something, Tohru."

Kyo looked down into Tohru's brown eyes with his orange ones. Tohru could feel Kyo's breath on her neck, on her face.

That's when they both realized it.

Kyo was still ontop of Tohru.

Kyo practically leaped off, his face as red as a beet. Tohru sat up, a dark blush over her cheeks. "I... Um... I didn't mean anything by that, so... Don't get any ideas!" Kyo yelled, his blush getting darker.

"What... Ideas?" Tohru's blush died down a little. Kyo whipped his head around. "N-Nothing. Never mind it!" Kyo muttered. _"Arrgh! Why am I making myself sound like an idiot? And WHY in front of HER?!" _Kyo thought.

"Tohru!"

"Honda-san!"

Tohru turned to see Yuki, Arisa and Hanajima surrounding her. Are you okay?" The three chorused. "Um, uh, yeah, but shoudln't someone ask Kyo-kun if he's alright?" Tohru asked.

"Why bother?" Arisa crossed her arms. "We know he's okay. Unfortunately." "Shut up you stupid Yankee." Kyo growled. "Your face is rather red... What happened to you, Orangey?" Arisa narrowed her eyes with a smirk, teasing Kyo.

"I said shut up!" Kyo began fuming.

"Man, now _that's definately _the definition of two heads are better than one! Good job, Tohru-kun, Kyo-chan!" Rena set down her cooler, clapping her hands for Kyo and Tohru.

"Nice one." Hatsuharu agreed. "Um-hm!" Momiji nodded his head. "Oh yeah, you shoudl've seen the way the ball I served assaulted Kyo! It was freakin' _priceless_!" Arisa began laughing all over again.

"Shut up yankee!" Kyo snapped. "Man, I shoudd've taken a picture of that." Arisa wiped her eyes. "No, I should've _video taped_ it!"

"Give it a rest already." Kyo glared angrily. "It wasn't that funny."

"Hatsu, set this blanket out under that big shady tree over there, please." Rena handed Hatsuharu a large blanket. Hatsuharu nodded, taking the balnket and setting it out.

"Alright, who's ready for the picnic?!" Momiji asked. "What did you make?" Yuk inquired. "Chocolate ice cream, kuzumochi, chocolate brownies, chocolate dipped riceballs, chocolate chip cookies, ume kondu, and odangoes!" Momiji informed the group.

"There's enough for everyine - Including Hari, Gure-nii, Shii-chan, Aya-chan, and Megumi-kun - To get one bowl of ice cream, one piece of kuzumochi, two brownies, three riceballs, four cookies, five umekondu, and six odangoes."

"Odangoes..." Hanajima slightly grinned to herself. "Why do much chocolate?" Yuki asked. "Because chocolate's goooood!" Momiji replied.

"..."

"...So what did you make, Hana-chan?" Tohru turned to Hanajima. "I made a total of fifteen beverages. Four chocolate milkshakes, three vanilla milkshakes, three strawberry milkshakes, one cherry milkshake, and four root beer floats with cherries ontop." Hanajima told everyone.

"This thing is changing from a picnic to a Sugar Fest." Arisa placed her hands hips. "...I like, I like! Sweets are good, tastey, and sugary."

"Exactly." Rena agreed.

Everyone sat down as Rena and Momiji began to pass out the plates, napkins, bowls, and silverware. Hatsuharu set the trays of food in the center of the large cicrcle everyone had created.

"Bon apetite!" Rena wished them their happy eatings. "And remember... Get as much as your suppose to, or others won't be able to enjoy these foods as well!"

Everyone filled their plate with the correct amount of food, ready to dig in and eat. "So... How is everything?" Rena asked after everyone was well into eating

**(She was eating as well)**

"It's very delicious, Tsujitani-san. Especially the kuzumochi." Yuki told Rena, taking another bite out of his kuzumochi piece. "Oh yeah! We ROCK and RULE!" Rena and Momiji slapped their palms together.

"We didn't kill anyone with our food! Boo yah!"

"No, but you're killing me with your big mouths." Kyo mumbled, taking a bite out of his chocolate chip cookie, obviously wishing their was milk to go with it.

**(Someone had better get Kyo his milk, before his cat sense start taking over! lol. Don't you guys just LOVE his cat senses? Though, I think I will only act up in like, one more chapter... :( Oh well!)**

Yuki looked around, as though realizing something for the first time. _"Something... Something isn't right... Something Something extremely annoying's missing... But what? What could it be?" _Yuki pondered.

"I wonder..." Yuki took another bite out of the kuzumochi. "Hn? Yuki-kun, what's wrong?" Tohru asked. "Yeah, you seem to be spaced out or something." Arisa added after finishing a brownie.

"Yes... Your electrical waves feel rather... Disturbed..." Hanajima looked up from her plate of Odangoes. "Hm? Oh, nothing's wrong. It's just... Something's missing. It's been far too quiet for some strange reason. Something is very wrong... But I can't put my finger on it..." Yuki trailed off.

"...Hm... What could it possibly be... That's right! I haven't seen the student council members today! No... Not seeing Kimi, Naohito, or Machi is disturbing me... So... Who is it?..."

"...Hey, were's Kake - "

"Oh YUUUUUUUUUN - YUNNNNNN!!"

"Darnit... I knew it was too quiet..." Yuki hung his head, taking a furious bite out of his riceball. "Hey Yun-yun! There you are! I've been looking around for you ALL DAY!" Kakeru greeted Yuki, plopping down beside of him.

"_**Ka-ke-ru...**_" Yuki groaned. "Don't you have something _else_ to do? Like annoy Kimi and Naohito or something?" "Naw. Machi's sick today, and Naohito and Kimi and I have been watching her, but I snuck away. It was far too boring without YOU, Yun-yun!" Kakeru grinned.

"...You realize that Naohito's gonna kill you now... Right?" Yuki looked at Kakeru. "Aw Yun-yun, I missed you too!" Kakeru hugged Yuki.

"I didn't say I missed you. Get off of me. AND QUIT CALLIN' ME YUN-YUN! BEFORE THE NAME STICKS!!" A vein popped out of Yuki's head.

"Wait a minute... You haven't meet Tsujitani-san yet... Have you, Kakeru?"

"Hm? Another friend of yours?" Kakeru asked. "Yeah... So go and get aquaintanced with _her_!" Yuki pushed Kakaeru towards Rena.

**(He dumped Kakeru on Rena lol)**

"Yun-yun, it's not nice to push people!" Kakeru started whining, yelling at Yuki. Rena's eyes widened, feeling her heart stop. _"No... It can't be him... No... Not... Him... Not my precious..." _Rena thought.

As though she was in a trance, Rena reached out to Kakeru, grabbed his sleeve and breathlessly muttered, "Kei...?"

Kakeru turned around to meet Rena's gaze. "Ah. So this is your new friend, Yun-yun. She's a pretty one." Kakeru flashed Rena a smile, causing her to blush horribly.

"Oooh, Rena's got the hots, Rena's got the hots!" Momiji chanted, making sure both Rena and Kakeru could hear him. Kakaeru only laughed, while Rena's blush deepened.

"Hi. I'm Kakeru Manabe." Kakeru held out his hand to Rena.

_"Kakeru? No... He's Kei. He has to Kei. He looks so much like Kei, and acts like him too! His name is... Kakeru? But what about... Kei-chan?"_

"Hi. I'm Rena Tsujitani. It's a pleasure to meet you." Rena smiled, shaking hands with Kakeru.

_"Still... Kakeru Manabe... Doesn't that name just sound... Dreamy? Just like... Kei's name. Is it only a coincidence... That I've crossed paths with a boy who looks __**just like**__ Kei-chan?"_

"Rena Tsujitani, is it? That's a fancy little name you have there." Kakeru told Rena. "Is that a bad thing?!" Rena asked anxiously ans quickly.

"No, that's good. Very good." Kakeru chuckled.

_"Kei-chan..."_

"Oh, so _now_ he's Mr. Polite." Kyo muttered. "Yeah, he name's Tsujitani, but we must give her a nickname!" Arisa exclaimed. "Nick... Name?" Rena blinked.

"I don't need a nickname..."

"Sure you do! What could it be? Na-chan? Tani-chan? No, no! Tsuji-chan!" Arisa annoucned. "Hey Tsuji-chan!"

"N-No! Don't call me that! Not wile Manabe-san's here!" Rena cried out. "Why? Do you _like_ him or something?" Arisa smirked. "No..." Rena fell silent.

_"No, I don't. But... There's a strange... Obsession... I've come to have with this Kakeru Manabe person. He fascinates me __because__ he's so much like... Kei-chan... "_

"What's the matter, Tsuji-chan? Cat got your tongue?" Arisa grinned, receiving a glare from Kyo. "Aw man, Yun-yun, I'm really sorry, but I've gotta go! I have to meet my girlfriend in a bit!" Kakeru stood up.

_"Girl... Girlfriend? Kei-chan?"_

"Kei-chan! Wait!" Rena grabbed Kakeru's sleeve. "Eh? Kei-chan? I'm Kakeru. Remember?" Kakeru turned back to Rena. "Oh... Ah... Y-Yes... Sorry..." Rena let go.

"It's okay. Do I remind you of someone named Kei or something?" Kakeru asked. "Um-hm... He's... My..." Rena trailed off.

"You should at least least try one of my delicious beverages, Kakeru-kun. It won't hurt you to drink it." Hanajima held a Root beer float out to Kakeru, interrupting.

"Not _much_, anyway."

"Yeah, and you should try some of Momiji-kun and Tsuji-chan's kuzumochi! It's to die for." Arisa told Kakeru. "We won't have enough for the others if we give him a piece, though." Hatsuharu pointed out.

"That's okay! He can have the piece I was gonna eat!" Rena offered fast, holding a plate with kuzumochi. "Um, Manabe-san, if you wouldn't mind... I'd like you to try some of mine and Momiji-kun's kuzumochi." Rena started to blush again.

"I mean, if that's not asking too much of you, of course! You don't have to if you don't want to, Manabe-san!"

"You don't have to call me Manabe-san, you know. No one else does." Kakeru told Rena. "But... I'll take the kuzumochi and the root beer. Besides... How could I turn down a gift?" Kakeru took the kuzumochi and root beer float from Rena and Hanajima.

"Thanks Hanajima-san, Tsujitani-san. Or should I call you... _Tsuji-chan?"_ Kakeru smirked, teasing Rena. "Ah...!" Rena looked down, her blush starting up again.

"Bye Yun-yun! I'll miss you again!" Kakeru waved at Yuki. "_**What are you still doing here?! LEAVE already!!**_" Yuki growled.

"Ouch, Yun-yun... Harsh..." Kakeru murmured. "See you around, Tsuji-chan." Kakeru waved back at Rena, walking off. "Hey Tsuji-chan, it's starting to catch on!" Arisa taunted.

"She's red all over! She's blushing all over! Ooh, Rena's in love with Kakeru!" Momiji sung, teasing Rena. "I am NOT! I'm just... Temperaturely hot." Rena insisted, grabbed a chocolate milkshake, slurping it and trying to cool down.

"I think it's cute." Kagura giggled. "Kakeru-kun is pretty handsome, after all."

**"Your love it Kyo. STICK TO THAT." **Yuki's eyes glowed. "What ? Was it soemthing I said?" Kagura asked, blinking.

"Hey, better her being after **him** than **me**." Kyo mumbled. "Yun-yun, take a chill pill and relax. Have a vanialla milkshake." Rena handed Yuki a milkshake.

"Not you too, Tsujitani-san." Yuki groaned. "Oh alright, I won't call you Yun-yun. But ONLY becuase you don't call me Tsuji-chan." Rena laughed.

"AH, so we've FINALLY decided to stop blushing, have we?" Arisa folded her arms. "Maybe we would invite Kakeru over more often... Tsuji-chan's just so cute when she's blushin'!"

**"NO. NO YOU WILL NOT." **Yuki and Kyo both growled, their eyes glowing. "...I'm sensing you two have resentment towards that guy..." Arisa trailed off.

"Um, K-Kyo-kun? Y-Yuki-kun? Your eyes are glowing..." Tohru sweat dropped.

"Okay, this cooler is all of Ame-nii, Tori-nii, Sensei, and Shii-chan's stuff, and this basket is for Megumi." Rena handed Megumi's basket to Hanajima and kept the Mabudachi... Quad's... ?

"Is everyone done eating?"

"Yep." Kyo stood up.

"Was it good, Kyo-bozu?!" Rena asked eagerly.

"Nope, it was horrible." Kyo replied.

Rena anime fell. "Ow... Have you no heart?!"

"Well what did I tell you about calling me Kyo-bozu?!"

"Ah..."

"Okay, we still have to give out the prizes before we retreat to Saki-chan's house, so let's begin!" Kagura stood up with Tohru, who was holding a bag full of prizes.

"Okay, in the first game, Dai Hin Min, Tsuji-chan was the winner, and the prize for that round was... White hair ribbons!" Tohru handed Rena the hair ribbons.

**(They look like the ones Yuki gave Tohru at the hot springs, only they're white)**

"WAI! Thank you so much, Tohru-kun!" Rena put the ribbons in her hair **(The same way Tohru did at the hot springs...)**

"The second game, Ping Pong, was a tie between two players, Haru and Yuki, so they both get... Fire Crackers!" Kagura held the fire crackers out to Hatsuharu and Yuki.

Before Hatsuharu could ever think about touching his, Kyo snapped it in half. "That's what I would've done to your face if you had pointed that damn fire cracker at me again." Kyo threatened.

"Are you _still _mad about _that_?" Hatsuharu said to Ky owith a blank expression.

**(Hatsuharu's blank expressions are just so kawaii! :))**

"I'll hold on to mine for something _special..._" Yuki put away his fire cracker. "I have the perfect idea." "...It invovles violence and torturing Kyo. I know it does. So... I'm so totally freakin' in!" Arisa decided to comply with Yuki's plan

"In the third game, Dodgeball, the winner was Momiji, so he recieves... Uh, purple nail polish?... But since he's a boy... I think we should give him something else..." Tohru trailed off.

"No! I want the nail polish!" Momiji snatched the purple nail polish, leaving Tohru dumbstruck. "Uh... Oh.. Um... O-Okay, Momiji-kun... If you really want it... I guess you can have it... I suppose..."

"The winner of the fourth game, Badmintion, the winners were Hanajima and Uotani, so they receive... Friendship braclets!" Kagura grave Hanajima and Arisa their prizes.

"And in the fifth game, since Kyo-kun and and I won, we get..." Tohru stopped.

"...Oh, Uh, nevermind. It's not important..."

"What? What do we get? Tell me!" Kyo commanded. "Uh... Well... Um... We get..." Tohru paused, taking a nice deep breath. "We get... Leek riceballs..."

Kyo glared at the leek riceballs. "Go figure. Everyone exceot me gets what the want." Kyo muttered. I - I - I'm sorry Kyo-kun! It'a all my fault! I should've never made leek riceballs a prize! What was I thinking?! Oh, I'm so sorry!" Tohru apologized again and again.

"It's okay, Tohru. You sound like Ritsu now." Kyo sighed.

"EH?! Sorry!"

"Cut that out."

"Sorry!"

"_Tohru_,"

"So - ...My deepest apologizes."

"You're only defeating the purpose of me telling you not to say I'm sorry!"

"...Um... I'm _not_ sorry?"

"...Forget it."

"I'll trade prizes with you, Kyo." Momiji offered. "As if I'd want purple nail polish." Kyo snorted, taking it away from Momiji and throwing it far, far away. "You need to start acting like a boy."

"Kyo threw my prize!" Momiji whined. "And I'd throw it again too!" Kyo retorted. "Don't worry Momiji-kun, I'll go get it." Rena assured the Usagi, running after the nail polish.

"...I'm surprised she didn't crash you..." Arisa said, amazed.

_**CRASH!**_

"OW! DAMMIT!"

"Ooops. I spoke too soon. "Arisa responded to Kyo's painful crash to the ground. "You just had to say something... Didn't you?..." Kyo asked in pain, glaring up at Arisa slowly from his dirt-kissing position.

--

"Jeez. That Kyo... He's such a bully to poor Momiji-kun! He should really try to get along with Momiji-kun better!" Rena huffed.

_"But how mean Kyo-kun can be to Momiji-kun isn't anything compared to how cruel I was to Kyo-kun... All those years ago..." _Rena thought darkly.

Rena shook her shutter away. "I wonder where it could've landed... I can't find it anywhere..." Rena searched through the grass. "Ah-ha! Here it is!" Rena picked up the tiny glass bottle.

"It's a little cracked, but it's not broken! I can still return this to Momiji-kun!" Rena turned around. Before she took so much as a step, she stopped.

The nail polish bottle in her hand dropped and hit the ground, the bottle shattering and the nail polish splattering everwhere.

Rena's eye widened in fear. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. _"He's... here." _Rena thought. _"He's really here..."_

"It's been quite a while... Hasn't, Rena?" Akito smirked, crossing his arms.

**Me: BWUHAHAHA! Akii-chan and Tsuji-chan finally meet!**

**Rena: ... Not cool.**

**SWD: (pats Rena) You'll be okay.**

**Rena: Really?**

**Me: No. Actually, you won't be okay...**

**Rena: What's gonna happen to me?!**

**Me: ...Well...**

**Rena: EGP!**

**Me: Read and Review please! vanishes**

**SWD: Oh, and EGP wanted to once again thank all of her reviewers, including ME! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Me: And finally, Akito and Rena come face to face!**

**SWD: Will the suspense end?**

**Me: Nope. Not for a few more chapter.**

**SWD: When you say few, you usually mean about 10 (groans)**

**Me: (smirk)**

**SWD: (sighs)**

**Me: Well, whether you guys want it or not, Chapter 25's coming at you fast!**

**SWD: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

Chapter Twenty-Four

_"Jeez. That Kyo... He's such a bully to poor Momiji-kun! He should really try to get along with Momiji-kun better!" Rena huffed._

_"But how mean Kyo-kun can be to Momiji-kun isn't anything compared to how cruel I was to Kyo-kun... All those years ago..." __Rena thought darkly._

_Rena shook her shutter away. "I wonder where it could've landed... I can't find it anywhere..." Rena searched through the grass. "Ah-ha! Here it is!" Rena picked up the tiny glass bottle. _

_"It's a little cracked, but it's not broken! I can still return this to Momiji-kun!" Rena turned around. Before she took so much as a step, she stopped._

_The nail polish bottle in her hand dropped and hit the ground, the bottle shattering and the nail polish splattering everwhere. _

_Rena's eye widened in fear. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. __"He's... here." __Rena thought. __"He's really here..."_

_"It's been quite a while... Hasn't, Rena?" Akito smirked, crossing his arms._

--

"What's wrong, Rena? You don't look too happy about seeing me at all. Didn't you miss me?" Akito slowly walked towards the teenage girl with a smirk.

Rena tried to run away, but she was paralyzed. Her body was afraid to move. She wanted to scream for help, but her mouth became dry and refused to work.

"Ah, I see you're wearing a ribbon in your hair again. Now how long has it been since I've seen you wear one of these, huh Rena?" Akito closed his eyes, holding the end of the white ribbon up to his lips with his fingertips for a moment before letting it slip out of his hands.

"They make you look so cute."

"Aren't you going to say something to me, Rena?" Akito asked, touching Rena's face. Rena's body cringed as Akito's icy fingertips of death brushed against her cheek.

"Say something, you idiot." Akito ran his hand through Rena's long black hair. "Say something!"

"A... Akito... San?" Rena managed to whisper. "Well? Are you going to say hi or what? Don't tell me you're _afraid_." Akito sneered. "You're afraid of me still, aren't you? You're just a weak and pathetic wretch after all."

Rena remained silent.

"Rena... Say something to you Master!" Akito grabbed Rena by her hair. "Don't make me repeat myself! Talk, wretch! Or I'll hit you!"

Tears filled Rena's eyes. "What... What do you want?" Rena demanded as strong as she could, her demand coming out as only a pathetic murmur.

"Don't _tell_ me I'm making you cry." Akito rolled his eyes tauntingly.

"I said, what do you want?!" Rena repeated herself, a little louder this time.

"What do I _want_? You know what I want. You can't escape this. You and I both know your fate is inevitable. You can't run away anymore. You are bound to me. You exist for me. You life _belongs_ to me. Your bound to me is even stronger than that of the Juunishi members. So what makes you think you can escape me?" Akito inquired.

"Don't get conceited. Not even that damned Tohru Honda bitch can save you."

"Maybe... Maybe I can't runaway from my fate. But... I can surely try!" Rena retorted.

"You aren't going anywhere."

Rena turned around. A man with short black hair, longer than Akito's, murky grey eyes, and his height only a few inches taller than Akito's stood behind her.

The man grabbed her wrist. "You aren't going anywhere, Inami."

"I... Itachi-kamisama?" Rena looked up, watching the older man narrow his eyes at her, a cold expression over his face.

"Ah. So you've met Itachi again. Isn't it good to be reunited once again, Rena?" Akito placed his hands on Rena's back, feeling for something.

Rena winced in pain. "Ah. So it is still there. You still bare the marking. The Symbol of Collision." Akito pressed his thumb into the middle of her back.

A sharp cry of pain escaped Rena's lips.

"What's the matter Rena? Does it still hurt? Does the mark we craved into your back... Still hurt?" Akito grinned, whispering cruel things about Rena's past into her ear.

"Stop it... Please... Leave me alone." Rena whimpered. "Please... I'm _begging_ you, Akito-kamisama."

"Then stop resisting. Give into the Darkness." Itachi said to the Guardian of Light.

"Look at me when I am speaking to you, Inami." Itachi grabbed Rena by her chin, forcing her to turn her head and look at him.

"Look into my eyes. Look into my eyes, and let the Darkness devour your soul."

"I don't... Want to... Lose my soul... To the Darkness... I..." Rena trailed off, drowning in Itachi hypnotic grey eyes.

_"No... Please... Stop! I don't want to... Stop it! Please!"_

--

"Rena-chan sure is taking a long time to find Momiji-kun's prize..." Tohru trailed off, worried. "We should go get her. I'm ready to crash at Hana's place right about now." Arisa stood up.

Momiji grabbed the cooler and the blanket. "Alright! Let's go and find out lost Tsuji-chan!" Momiji began to march forward. "Momiji," Kyo began, but was discontinued by a long, high pitched , ear-splitting scream filling the air.

"That... That sounded like Tsujitani-san...!" Yuki's eyes widened. As though painful pulsations at attacked their brains at full force, Hatsuharu, Momiji, Arisa, and Hanajima all fell to their knees simultaneously, each one yelling in pain and clutching their heads.

"Hatsuharu-kun? Uo-chan? Momiji-kun? Hana-chan? What's the matter?" Tohru asked, panicking. "It's the darkness... The Angel of Death... Is being... Disturbed..." Hatsuharu managed to say through gritted teeth.

"So much pain... So much darkness... So much hatred... And sorrow..." Hanajima clutched her head even tighter. "I can feel it... The Dark Collision... Is about... To begin..." Arisa gasped for air, breathing heavily and unable to move.

"Someone, please... Stop it... Stop the three powers from colliding... Please, somebody help her...! Rena-chan!... I can't see... I can't breathe... I can't..." Momiji exhaled, passing out.

"Momiji-kun!" Tohru kneeled down to the Rabbit of the Juunishi. "Yuki-kun, can you carry Momiji? He's... Unconscious." Yuki nodded, picking up Momiji and the cooler he had.

"Yuki... Take everyone home. Get everyone away from here, right now." Hatsuharu struggled to his feet. "Take everyone to Sensei's house."

"Why? What's going on?" Yuki inquired. "The Dark Collision is about to begin. None of you could ever hope of being able to withstand something as powerful as Dark Collision in the condition you're in. You'll all just get hurt and in the way." Hatsuharu leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath.

"But what about you, Hatsuharu-kun?" Tohru asked. "I'm stronger than Momiji, Uotani, and Hanajima. I can stand up to it. At least, I have to try. She's my responsiblity as well." Hatsuharu replied.

"...Kyo, help Uotani-san, and Kagura, you help Hanajima-san." Yuki ordered. "I ain't about to help that damn yankee." Kyo sneered. "Please, Kyo-kun. She needs help, and I'm not strong enough to carry her." Tohru tried to reason with Kyo.

"Can't Kagura help her? Can't I help the OTHER one instead? Hanajima?" Kyo groaned. "Kyo, please." Tohru begged. "_Please_ Kyo-kun. Please help Uo-chan. _Please._"

Kyo stared at Tohru for a minute.

"...Damn it all to hell..." Kyo sighed, helping Arisa up and held her arm around his shoulders. "Know that Im only doing this because _you_ asked me to, Tohru. I'm doing it for your sake, not hers." Kyo told Tohru before running towards Shigure's house.

_"Even still... Uotani needs help... She might really be hurt..." _Kyo thought. _"Dammit... Why the hell do I care about this damn yankee anyway?! I'm too damn soft for my own good!"_

"Come on, Hanajima-san." Kagura helped Hanajima up, running towards Shigure's house after Kyo. Tohru picked up the folded blanket.

Before she and Yuki followed, Tohru turned back to Hatsuharu. "Hatsuharu-kun... Be careful, please. Don't get yourself hurt... Okay?" Tohru looked at the Ox.

Hatsuharu nodded. "I'll be okay, Tohru. You can be sure of it." Hatsuharu assured the onigiri. "We'll see you later then." Yuki took Tohru's hand and ran off with her behind him.

_"I won't get hurt. It will be nothing, compared to Rena's pain." _Hatsuharu thought, running towards the source of pain. _"I have to protect her. I have to save Rena and stop the Dark Collision. Before it's too late. Even if I costs me my life."_

"Naginata of Densetsu!" Hatsuharu shouted, his legendary naginata appearing in his hamds as he ran.

_"I'm coming for you, Princess. Just hold on. I'm coming!"_

--

Rena's black eyes became empty, losing their warmth and humanity, the emotion and life being sucked out of them. She stared into space, her eyes acting as though they've lost the ability to blink.

Rena began to fall back, but Itachi caught her by her waist with one arm. "Akito-tono... It's been done. Her heart and soul... Are gone. She won't be able to resist the Darkness now." Itachi told Akito.

"You know what to do now... Right, Itachi." Akito grinned evilly. Tears formed in Rena's emotionless, lifeless eyes. _"I guess... This is it. I couldn't protect..." _Rena thought before everything went blank

Akito formed a medium-sized sphere of darkness, as well as Itachi. The two combined their spheres of darkness, creating a larger one.

Itachi held the sphere up to Rena's heart. Slowly, the Dark Spere seeped into Rena's body. "The Dark Collision will take place in a matter of minutes, now that the Spere of Darkness has entered her body." Itachi informed Akito.

"So you really are behind this."

Itachi and Akito turned to see Hatsuharu, angirly clutching her naginata. His eyes were fierce, dark and grey.

Oh yeah, Black Haru has come out to play... **(lol, that rhymes! )**

"Itachi..." Hatsuharu growled, raising his naginata and pointing it at the Dark Lord. The Ox got into a fighting stance, prepared to battle. "We're gonna settle our score today, here and now!"

"Oh? You dare raise your weapon at me, weakling?" Itachi scoffed. "Do you not favor you life? Or are you just an idiot?" "You're the idiot for ever messing with Rena like that and thinking you could get away with it! Bastard!" Hatsuharu charged at Itachi, swinging his naginata crazily at him.

"What's wrong, Demon Slayer? Can you not manage to put even a scratch one me? Has the Dark Collision effected you and your skills to this point?" Itachi sneered.

"Or are you just really this weak?"

"The weak one here must be you, if you resort yourself to abusing a defenseless girl that has done nothing to you in all of her life!" Hatsuharu swung his nagainata with all of his strength.

Itachi grabbed the blade of the naginata, stopping it in midair. Blood trickled down his hand, but he did not let go. Itachi kicked the surprised Ox in his stomach, sending him flying.

Hatsuharu hit the ground and tumbled across the ground, his naginata flying out of his hand. "I have no time to deal with the likes of you. The Dark Collision is about to begin." Itachi said to the demon slaying Ox.

"Besides... You can't use any of your _real_ powers or your _real_ strength until tomorrow night... Can you? All you can do is swing your little naginata around, unable to release the Legendary Power of the Dragon. I do not wish to battle my opponet in their weakest state. It is meaningless to me. Come back to me... Tomorrow night, Demon Slayer. And don't hold back."

"Damn you." Hatsuharu growled. _"But he's right... I can't use my power to fight him. Not while the Dark Collision is going on, and not until tomorrow night. The power from the Dark Collision... The Dark Pressure... Is far too strong for me to withstand." _the Ox thought.

"Are you just gonna sit there and curse at me, or are you gonna do something about Inami?" Itachi demanded. "Inami? No, you mean Rena! Her name is Rena!" Hatsuharu yelled.

"...She's not... _her_."

"Does it really matter? If you don't do something soon, she'll be dead." Itachi replied. "Itachi, we're leaving. We can't waste anymore of our strength... On this idiot. We've already used too much... On the Dark Collision." Akito called to the Dark Lord.

"Until tomorrow night... Our truest powers shall night be revealed."

"...You have been spared. I was going to make you suffer, but I suppose Akito does not want that. You are lucky." Itachi turned and walked away, evaporationg into a black mist with Akito and disappearing into thin air.

Rena slumped to her knees, her emotionless black eyes still showing no sign of life. Suddenly, a black light emeerged from ehr body, shining brightly. **(Or dully... Or maybe it didn't shine at all, since it's black... Which ever.)**

The dark light surround Rena like black demonic winds, the winds howling.

_"At least I can still see her through those demonic winds..." _Hatsuharu thought. _"She doesn't have much time. I have to do something..."_

White glowing orbs of a mysterious power began to reveal themselves, shooting out of Rena's body several at a time, the orbs releasing themselves from Rena;s body until no more remaining within her.

Once all of the mysterious power was gone, the dark demonic winds wrapped itself around Rena and became solid, trapping Rena within a thin dark purple/black cocoon, which was getting thicker and thicker by the minute.

_"The Darkness is devouring her! It's striping her of her powers, casting out all of her life force and energym and tearing her insides apart!" _Hatsuharu realized.

A strage symbol appeared ontop of the cocoon. The symbol on the cocoon looked like a circle outlined thicky in black with a black star in the center of it, a white line going straight down the middle of the star, and and a large white angel wings sticking out of each side of the star, overlapping parts of the circle.

_"What... What the hell is the symbol? And what is it suppose to represent?" _Hatsuharu wondered. _"What is its purpose? Is it good or bad, for Rena's sake?"_

The dark cocoon began to pulsate, the intensity of the invisible darkness increasing. The Darknness bound Hatsuharu, making him lose the ability to move, stuck in his position on the ground.

And with every painful pulsation...

He could feel Rena's life wither away.

"Rena," Hatsuharu stared at the cocoon containing the Princess of Light within it. _"How can I stop the Dark Collision before it's too late? I can't move any closer - It hurt too much. My body feels like feels like it's gonna burst because of all the pressure the Darkness is applying on me."_

"Dammit!" Hatsuharu cursed under his breath. "Wake up Rena! Do you honestly want to die this way?! Are you ready to give Itachi and Akito the invincibility they want from you? Are you just gonna give up without a fight and hand it over to them? Huh?"

_**"You should leave."**_

"Huh? Who the hell... Are you?" Hatsuharu demanded.

_**"I am an ally, and I am here to help you. If you desire to leave and prolong your life... Then I will lend you my power and strength, and allow you to escape."**_

"Escape? I'm not about to run away! Not without Rena!"

_**"But... There's no hope for her. She's... Dying."**_

"But she's still alive in there... Right?!"

_**"Yes... But... She's being devoured by the Darkness itself. Her soul... Is being lost to the Darkness. And... If you do not leave soon... The same thing will happen to you."**_

"I... I don't care! I have to save her somehow! She's... She's my responsibilty! I'm suppose to protect! If she dies... I'll be at fault! And Rin... Rin! I have to protect Rena... For both her own, the world, and Rin's sake!"

_**"... You refuse to leave... Don't you?"**_

"I... I won't let her behind! I will save her! Even if it is the death of me! I wouldn't be able to live with myself... If Rena died, and I was right there... But I was too weak to protect her!"

Suddenly, an Army of Akuryous appeared before Hatsuharu, ready to fight.

_**"That Itachi... He sent them here to take care of you. In this state, they'll only kill you. Are you sure... That you do not wish to leave here?" **_

"Yes. I will stay here, and fight, and try to awaken Rena. Just... Help me stand."

_**"...Even if I grant you the power to stand and move... That will be probably the most you could do. Until the Dark Collision has been stopped... You will not be able to run away, or fight those Akuryous. Are you certain?"**_

The Akuryous rushed at Hatsuharu, the hundreds of them beating up on him. They transformed their arms into razor sharp blades, swinging at Hatsuharu and cutting him.

"Give me the power to move already!" Hatsuharu yelled.

_**"...As you wish."**_

A strange power entered Hatsuharu's body, running through his veins and his blood. Before another Akuryou could swipe at him, Hatsuharu was up on his feet, and dodged him.

"Apparently, I can move around and dodge them, though." Hatsuharu grinned to himself. "That's better than lying there and taking it.

One of the Akuryous got lucky, and cut Hatsuharu deep across his back.

Hatsuharu let out a roar of pain, falling to his knees. "Damn bastard... Caught me off guard..." Hatsuharu struggled to his feet. "Rena-hime! I told you... I'm coming for you! So... Don't give up yet! Don't... Die on me!"

_**"...I do not understand... Why you insist on staying to defend her when there is nothing you can do. But if this is your desire... Then so be it."**_

--

_"It's too... Dark. Too... Cold. Too... Painful... I can hardly breathe... I can't see... I can't... Hear..."_

_**"Rena."**_

_"Ah? Oh... It's only... You. Why are you still here? Are you going to die with me?" _**(The voice is talking to her in her mind, just as it had talked to Hatsuharu)**

_**"Stop talking like that!"**_

_"It's true, though... I am going to die soon... And Akito is going to take my powers to become invincible, along wit hTohru's heart. He'll take all of the Guardians. And... If he gets my Guardian... He'll just be able to summon the others straight to him."_

_**"So you understand just how important your powers are... Correct? How important... Your role is?"**_

_"I know... That if I die... Akito will get my power. He'll obtain all of the Six Eternal Powers, and along with Tohru's Heart, he will become invincible, and the Darkness will only spread. This world... Will die."_

_**"So then why are you giving up so easily?"**_

_"Because... There's nothing I can do. I am already in my Cocoon of Darkness. I'm... dying. I'm being devoured by the Darkness. Soon... My soul will wander in Eternal Darkness, after being totally striped of my powers."_

_**"Rena! The Angel! It is protecting you! Why do you think you are still alive?! Why do you think you still have yours and Hikari's powers?!" **_

_"The... Angel? Of Life? But why... Would it protect me?"_

_**"Because! You and your friends are the only ones who can end these 2,000 year old curses! If you die Rena... Without ending this... The curse will only continue! The will be another born into the Tsujitani Family, and take your place! Your dying will mean nothing! So why not do everything you can to stay alive?!**_

_"...How can I get out of here anyway?"_

_**"Summon Hikari with the last of your strength. The Angel of Life and I shall take care of the rest. Just listen."**_

_"Listen? Listen to... What?"_

_**"Listen Rena... Can't you hear him? He's screaming out your name. He's calling for you. The longer you don't respond... The longer he will suffer."**_

_"Suffer? How?"_

_**"The Darkness. Although it is invisible to the naked eye because it is not at it's full strength yet... It is strong enough to kill him. He's dying as well. The Darkness... Is killing him the longer his stays in it."**_

_"Who?"_

_**"Soon... He shall be another victim. His soul shall be lost in the Sea of Darkness as well. Can't you hear him? His cries of pains? He's being wounded... And slowly tortured by the Akuryous. To death."**_

_"Tell me who!"_

_**"...The Ox Boy. Hatsuharu. He won't leave. He insists on staying out there and suffering. He's caling you, Rena. He's trying to bring you back. If only you would listen to him... It would all end, if you would open your ears!"**_

"RENA-HIME!"

Rena gasped, her eyes widening. "Hatsuharu... kun?" She said breathlessly.

_**"Get up Rena. Wake up! I will not allow you to die in a place like this! You will not die today! You will live!"**_

"I... Nami..." A small whisper, unheard to the human ears, escpaed Rena's lips._ "O Great Guardian of Light... Thy Protector and Guard of Eternal Light... Please... Hikari Shiroii-san... Please... Lend me your strength and Eternal Power!"_

"Is that your desire... Princess?"

_"Yes... Destroy the Darkness with your Eternal Light... Destroy the Akuryous... And save Hatsuharu-kun!"_

"...As you wish... Princess of Light."

A large pair of folded up white glowing angel wings made from the same mysterious substance that had been released from Rena's body sprouted out of her back.

The large, beautiful, glowing Angel Wings spread out, bursting through the cocoon, cutting through it as thought it was paper, and demolishing it.

Rena's wings rose her off of the ground, lifting her higher and higher into the air. Hatsuharu looked up. _"Rena-hime... What's happening to her?" _Hatsuharu mused.

The Akuryous as well looked up at Rena, seeming to lose interesting in Hatsuharu and be drawn to Rena.

_"Those wings... Those strange, beautiful wings... From a distance... It looks almost like the symbol that was on the cocoon. It looks as thought Rena is the dark star... There are her wings... And her pure aura is the white circle..." _Hatsuharu thought.

_"But if that's so... Then what is the white line through the middle of the dark star suppose to represent?"_

Rena's still empty dead black eyes looked down on the Akuryous.

"Die." A voice that didn't belong to Rena or Inami said firmly to the monsters of darkness, raising Rena's hand. "Begone, vile creature. I, the Angel of Life, can give and take Life. And I choose... To take yours!"

Painfully bright pulsations of light were released from Rena's body. The Darkness in the air was forced into being seen, and was destroyed.

The wings let off an intense, bright light even more painful than the pulsations of light still ringing throuhg the air. The Akuryous began to screech and scream in pain, while it merely blinded Hatsuharu, forcing him to cover his eyes and turn away.

The light shone, annihilating the hundreds of Akuryous. The power given to him by Inami, who had been the voice in Hatsuharu's head, were also destroyed, once again binding him.

After the Akuryous and Darkness were destroyed, the air seemed much lighter. The lights and pulsations had not stopped yet, making sure every trace of evillness was being erased.

With the air now purified of the lingering darkness and the evil spirits gone for good, Hatsuharu was able to move again. The lights and painful pulsation of light stopped.

All of a sudden, Rena began to fall through thr air, her wings seeming to lose their power. "Rena!" Hatsuharu ran, jumped into the air, and caught the light princess, toppling over her as they both hit the ground.

The large white angel wings shattered, leaving not a trace behind. A moment after the wings shattered, Rena groaned, looking up at the Ox.

"Rena..." Hatsuharu pulled the princess into a hug. "Rena...!! I thought... I really thought you had died on me... When you wouldn't respond. I thought... I was too late." Hatsuharu whispered.

"I'm glad you're safe now. I don't know how, but... You were saved from the Dark Collision."

"YOU saved me, Hatsuharu. It's because... You didn't give up on me, even when I gave up on myself. Thank you... For going through all that trouble just to awaken me." Rena smiled.

"Rena... What was that power?" Hatsuharu inquired.

"...The light... It was the truest power of my Guardian, Hikari Shiroii. And those wings... They were the wings of the Angel of Life. The angel's wings... Were made out of my life force and energy. The life that I had lost... Had been absorbed by the Angel, and thus, those wings were born. When they shattered... I was truly brought back to life." Rena explained.

"So your Guardian... Inami... And The Angel of Life... All worked together to save you and put the Angel of Death... Back to sleep?" Hatsuharu asked.

"Only because you were able to awake me was it possible. Thank you." Rena thanked the Ox. "Oh Hatsuharu-kun... You're wounded so badly... Here, let me help..." Rena reached her hand out, but stopped, stuffling a cry of pain.

"I'm still too... Weak to carry on... I must... Somehow regain my strength. Or I will..." Rena trailed off, fainting. _"...It was too much for her to stay awake... Huh? Far too painful for her..." _Hatsuharu stood up, carrying Rena in his arms as he began in the direction of Shigure's house.

_"...I guess it's okay... But I hope that she wakes up. She's still dying, even right now... I hope she'll be okay..." _Hatsuharu looked down at the sleeping Rena.

She was bruised all over, but her wounds were _nothing_ compared to Hatsuharu's.

And in vice versa...

Hatsuharu's pain was _nothing_ compared to Rena's.

He was only suffering from severe physical wounds, while she was suffering from physical wound, severe mental wound, severe emotional wounds, and severe spiritual wound.

She was wounded, and right now... Nothing could heal her.

_"...I know that there is hardly anything I can do to help with Rena's pain, but... I know that if we give her time, and force her to see that we're all here for her... She'll came around to it. She is the only one who can heal herself. She will be alright, and she will wake up. I... Know it... She won't die on us..." _Hatsuharu tried to convince himself.

_"Please Rena... Don't die on us."_

**Me: And there you have it! Chapter 25!**

**SWD: What was that thing Hatsuharu was saying about Rin?**

**Me: ...**

**SWD: And what about that symbol? What the purpose of it? **

**Me: ...**

**SWD: Is Rena gonna be alright? What about Momiji and the others?**

**Me: ...**

**SWD: What's this whole thing about everyone not being able to use their powers until tomorrow night? And why was Rena able to use her's, if no one could use them once the Dark Collision began?**

**Me: ... **

**SWD: What's gonna happen next, and what are Akito and Itachi up to now? What will they do when they learn the Dark Collision failed?**

**Me: ...**

**SWD: (sighs) EGP, you're not gonna answer me, are you?**

**Me: ... **

**SWD: EGP?**

**Me: ...**

**SWD: ...**_**EGP?!**_

**Me: ...**

**SWD: ...(sigh) I guess I'll end the chapter now then.**

**Me: Read and review please!**

**SWD: Oh, so NOW you decide to talk, huh?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Me: I would like to announce that I have offically confused and tortured some reviewers to the point were they have a major headache (lol, Kiki) And some of them are just Kyo-crazed (lol, Ghsneko)**

**SWD: And why is that good?**

**Me: It's satisfying to play with their minds! Okay you guys, I'll tell you now... Soon enough... In over 10 more chapters - **

**SWD: (rolls eyes) Ten, as usual.**

**Me: ...Isuzu shall make her big appearance! And **_**that**_** will explain Hatsuharu's reasons for protecting Rena, and how his powers came to be.**

**SWD: Anything else?**

**Me: Yes... Two of three more things. Okay, I know that some of you are wondering how come Itachi isn't "inside of" Akito like Inami is "inside of" Rena. Well, there's an EXTREMELY good reason for that. I will tell you know, since this won't really be explained for a while - Itachi was resurrected by Akito. Inami's consciousness and soul was resurrected into Rena's body. A lot of this is explained in a flashback, when Momiji admits to Hatsuharu that he saw something Itachi and Akito did to Rena that he shouldn't have. It also explains where the Symbol of Collision comes from.**

**SWD: Next?**

**Me: Oh yes... Kei-chan... Well, obviously, Kei and Kakeru have some sort of connection to Rena. Kei is a mysterious character that you won't nessecarily "meet" until an event happens when Kakeru is taken over by the Darkness and forced to fight Rena and the others... And it just might be the death of him... (grin) I'm evil. So, whenever Rena starts thinking about the Kei person, just pay attention to what she says. Eventually, she'll explain it to everyone, followed by a flashback. Telling you now, she's gonna lose it when Kakeru joins the Dark side (though they don't know he's being controlled at first). I think I might get his girlfriend mized up in this, JUST to cause more confusion... lol**

**SWD: She's an evil authoress, isn't she?**

**Me: Yeah, I know (smiles) Okay... Um... Well... I think that's it for right now...**

**SWD: Btw, there will be a kinda sorta spoiler in one of EGP's chapters, explaining how the Juunishi came to be. She did some researching and looked ahead. She already knows who the whole damn series is gonna end. (glares)**

**Me: (shrug) Internet, my child, is a useful things. Reading parts from Mangas that haven't been released yet help with story inspiration.**

**SWD: Whatever. At least she's spoiling a few things for us...**

**Me: I think that's it... So... Let the chapter begin! **

**SWD: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

**Me: Also, sorry for the delay! Long story short: I made a mistake, and it was fixed. And, I've been writing a few other stories and stuff, so I've been a bit busy. Here you go.**

Chapter Twenty Six

"Sensei." Hatsuharu knocked on Shigure's front door, out of breath and his energy fading. "Yes? Who is it - " Shigure opened the door to see a badly wounded and bleeding Hatsuharu holding a bruised and unconscious Rena in his arms.

"Here. Take her." Hatsuharu handed Rena to Shigure before falling to his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Hatsuharu... You're wounded... Did you - "Shigure was interrupted by Hatsuharu replying, "I did my job, okay? I got her back here. I didn't leave her side."

"Hell, how could I have? She was suffering in that damned cocoon..." _"Even saying that... Deep down... I know I only saved her for my own selfish desires. Me wanting to protect her was a part of it, And and her being a close friend was too, but the biggest part of it... Was Rin." _Hatsuharu thought.

_"If Rin wasn't a part of this... And if I didn't have to do this for Rin's sake... I don't think I would've tried so hard to save her. Even if... Rena is important to me. Rin... Is my __**life.**__"_

_"I wonder if Rena would get upset if I told her I was partly using her... Yeah, I guess she would... Maybe that's why... I feel so much guilt when I think 'I was able to save her'. Because..."_

Hatsuharu was knocked out of deep thought by Shigure calling for Hatori and Ayame. The first to arrive at the door as Ayame, naturally. He rushed down the stair and up to Shigure.

"Shigure? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"_This_ is what's wrong." Shigure turned, letting Ayame see the injuried and unconscious light hime. Ayame's eyes widened. "Rena..." He whispered.

"It's hard to tell if she's stil alive, because I couldn't feel her pulse or hear her breathing, but somehow, her heart's still kinda beating. It's really weak, thought." Hatsuharu told Ayame.

"She just might die."

"Don't say things like that. She... She won't die. She won't." ayame insisted, sounding more like he was pleading than he was sure.

"...Here, Aya. Maybe you want to take her while she's still... You know..." Shigure trailed off, handing Rena to Ayame. "Rena..." Ayame stared down at Rena, his body starting to feel weak.

"Ayame, don't... Blame yourself for this. It was destined to happen to her. She was born to endure great pain and to be sacrificed. Don't worry about it so much, though. I have complete faith in her. She won't die... Especially not on you." Hatsuharu muttered before passing out, hitting the ground hard.

"Yuki!" Ayame called on his younger brother. "What is it, Nii-san?" Yuki came down from upstairs. "Take Hatsuharu into your room and let him rest up a bit. He's in bad condition." Ayame ordered.

Yuki glanced at Rena. Knowing that this was not a good time to argue or ask questions, Yuki nodded, helping his cousin. He got the unconscious Ox up onto his feet, threw one of his arms around his shoulders, and dragged him to his room.

"Hatori must still be upstairs in Kyo's room watching over Momiji, Uotani-san and Hanajima-san with Tohru-kun and Kyo." Shigure turned to Ayame.

"Yuki's got Hatsuharu covered... What are you doing to do with Rena?"

"I'll take her to her and Tohru's room. It would do her good if I just let her sleep until Hatori is able to take a look at her, since I have no idea what to do." Ayame replied.

"Oh, and Aya? I kinda went through Rena and Tohru's stuff and redecorated." Shigure told Ayame. "Tell me what you think of their room!"

"I just hope you didn't make her room too girly. Or too pink. Pink's her least favorite color. She'll only tolerate it if Tohru-kun likes it, y'know. And still, she'll hurt you." Ayame walked towards the stairs.

"Ooops. I guess I'd better start praying _really_ hard then, huh?" Shigure scratched his head, grinning. "Yeah, I think you should too. She just might kill you when she wakes up." Ayame smirked.

"Well, in case I die, Aya, just know that I want you to make sure my beautifyl house stays nice and clean, and doesn't break!" Shigure exclaimed.

"Of course Gure, I will carry on your legacy of a cleans and unbroken house!" Ayame exclaimwed back. "Oh, and make sure you buy milk for Kyo-kun too. He gets even grumpier when he doesn't have any milk to drink." Shigure added.

"Well, call me when Rena-chan wakes up."

_"__**IF**__ she wakes up." _A nega tive thought came to Ayame;s mind. Ayame quickly dismissed the bad thought, hoping he would soon forget about it. He didn't want to even start to think that way.

Shigure opened his door and entered his room, leaving the lights off. Staring into the dark room, Shigure saw Shire sitting on the floor against the wall near the window, the light seeping in from it being the only source of light in the dark room.

"I assume the Dark Collision took place?" Shire asked. Shigure nodded. "Yeah, and they're all in pretty bad condition. Rena and Hatsuharu are the worst. The others just passed out, with major headaches or something."

"Will Rena and Hatsuharu be okay?"

"Well, Hatsuharu need rest and to have his wounds tended to, but... I'm pretty sure he'll be fine."

"And Rena?"

"...We're... We're not too sur eabout her yet."

"If the Dark Collision started... Then that means she must've ran into Akito. That bad, bad boy. When will he learn - It's not nice to send people into painful dark collision. Especially not his princess lover." Shire scolded teasingly.

"Or maybe his arch nemesis.. Which ever comes first!"

"If Akito-san at the main house, then Kureno's probably not too far away. Usually, he sticks wit hAkito. Does he know anything about Akito's next plan?" Shigure trailed off thoughtfully.

"Probably not. If Akito hasn't told us, then he probably hasn't told Kureno. But I see where you're coming from. Akito seems to trust Kureno more than he trusts us. But still, I doubt Kureno would be of any use to us." Shire replied.

"Not that Akito _should_ trust us, after what we did. I'm surprised he still even assosiates with us." Shigure responded. "Yes, but our punishment was that we moved out of thr Estate, so I guess he's still a little mad." Shire laughed.

"You know, Shire... I wonder about Rena sometimes. In more than one way she reminds me of Akito. Not the way they act or anything - It's just their _eyes_. They're both so... Fragile. So... Secretive. So... I can't really describe it." Shigure trailed off.

"They'r eboth so... Mysterious."

"Yes. They certainly are. And they both hide many secrets." Shire agreed. "Just as everyone else does." "Shire... Do _you_ know anything? About Rena-chan's secrets?" Shigure inquired.

"Me? I could never be expected to know such a thing. Hatsuharu knows a fragment of them, and our Yuki knew a good deal of them, but the only person that knows everything... The one person that she cannot kept a secret from... Would be the one who she fears most - Akito."

"Ah. So his name is being brought up once again." Shigure mumured. "It's funny how two people who hate each other so much are so invovled in one another's lives."

_"I can only pray from Rena-chan... That things don't fall apart for her... Like they did from him." _Shigure thought.

--

"So? How are they, Hatori-san?" Tohru asked the family doctor worriedly. "...They seem to be okay. They all must've suffered from a serious migraine, but other than that... They're fine." Hatori answered, puttting up his material.

"That's a relief..." Tohru sighed a sigh of relief. "Tohru-kun... Can you tell me what happened?" Hatori inquired. "Hm? You mean what happened to Momiji-kun, Uo-chan, and Hana-chan?"

"No Tohru, he wants to know what happened to that empty head of yous." Kyo teased. "Speaking of empty heads... Where'd Kagura go?"

"Kagura-chan? Um, I think she went to get some more medicine." Tohru answered. "Medicine?" Kyo raised an eyebrow. Tohru nodded.

"It's for Uo-chan, Momiji-kun, and Hana-chan, of course! And Rena-chan and Hatsuharu-kun, if they might need it. I hear they got hurt really badly." Tohru explained.

"Why would they need medicine? They're not sick - They passed out. And besides... I like them much better this way. They're not nearly as annoying."

"Kyo-kun, that's not nice!"

"Tohru... _I'm _not nice."

"Yes you _are_, Kyo-kun! You're really nice! So you should say and do nice things!"

"So you mean you want me to plaster a smile on my face and be happy all the time, say nice thing to Momiji, Yuki, and that Ya... Uotani... _AND_ try to get along with them?"

"That's exactly what I mean!"

"Ha ha, I don't think so."

"WHY NOT?!"

"Ahem," Hatori cleared his throat. "Back to my question please." "Oh yeah! Gomen ne, Hatori-san! I almost forgot! Okay, well we had just finished our Super Duper Extravaganze Fun Day, and our Sugar Fest Picnic - " Tohru was dicontinued by Hatori raining a brow and repeating dully, "Super Duper Extravaganze Fun Day? Sugar Fest Picnic?"

"Momiji came up with both names." Kyo replied. "That explains everything. Go on, Tohru-kun." Hatori turned back to Tohru. "...And we were waiting for Rena-chan to return with Momiji-kun's prize that see was trying to find, because Kyo-kun has thrown it - "

"It was a freakin' bottle of purple nail polish! I had to! The boy's already corrupted enough! And wit hthat damn Bunny Society crap, it's only getting worst! I swear, one of these days, that little brat's gonna wake up a girl!" Kyo exclaimed.

("Bunny Society?" Hatori repeating in the same dull tone of voice, blinking with a blank expression)

"...But she never came back. That's when Uo-chan, Momiji-kun, Hana-chan, and Hatsuharu-kun started acting weird..." Tohru stopped a second before telling Hatori exactly what had happened.

**Beginning of Flashback**

"Rena-chan sure is taking a long time to find Momiji-kun's prize..." Tohru trailed off, worried. "We should go get her. I'm ready to crash at Hana's place right about now." Arisa stood up.

Momiji grabbed the cooler and the blanket. "Alright! Let's go and find out lost Tsuji-chan!" Momiji began to march forward. "Momiji," Kyo began, but was discontinued by a long, high pitched , ear-splitting scream filling the air.

"That... That sounded like Tsujitani-san...!" Yuki's eyes widened. As though painful pulsations at attacked their brains at full force, Hatsuharu, Momiji, Arisa, and Hanajima all fell to their knees simultaneouslym each one yelling in pain and clutching their heads.

"Hatsuharu-kun? Uo-chan? Momiji-kun? Hana-chan? What's the matter?" Tohru asked, panicking. "It's the darkness... The Angel of Death... Is being... Disturbed..." Hatsuharu managed to say through gritted teeth.

"So much pain... So much darkness... So much hatred... And sorrow..." Hanajima clutched her head even tighter. "I can feel it... The Dark Collision... Is about... To begin..." Arisa gasped for air, breathing heavily and unable to move.

"Someone, please... Stop it... Stop the three powers from colliding... Please, somebody help her...! Rena-chan!... I can't see... I can't breathe... I can't..." Momiji exhaled, passing out.

**End of Flashback**

"And that's when Hatsuharu-kun ordered us all to go home and ran off somewhere." Tohru finished. "...The Dark Collision... Is Rena downstairs?" Hatori asked.

"I'm not sure. That might've been why Shigure-san called you to come downstairs." Tohru suggested. "If Rena's not here... Then that's bad. _VERY_ bad..." Hatori muttered.

"Why?" Kyo demanded. "Because if shedidn't return... That means the Angel of Death was awaken and tok her life. And if that's true... Then Akito is on the road of invincibility..."

"Please excuse me. I must go check if Rena is her or not, and if she is, if she's okay." Hatori stood up and walked towards the door.

As soon as Hatori opened the door, he was face to face with a suprised Ayame that was about to knock on the door. "Um, hello. Hari. I was just about to ask if you were busy." Ayame blinked a few times.

"No, I'm not busy right now. Why?" Hatori inquired. "I need you to look at Rena. She's... Not in good shape/ I think she might be... Dying.' Ayame told the Dragon.

"She's... Half dead, if not more."

"Rena? D... Dying?" Hatori's eyes widened. "She's in her and Tohru's room." Ayame took a step back, letting Hatori out. "Tohru, Kyo, you two watch over Momiji and the other two. I'll be back soon enough." Hatori ordered, walking down the hall with Ayame.

"Rena-chan's... Half dead?" Tohru whispered, unable to believe it. "What happened to her?" Kyo wonder out loud.

--

"Uggghhh... Where am I?" Hatsuharu groanwed, sitting up.

"You shouldn't be trying to get up now, Haru. I just finished dressing your wounds."

Hatsuharu turned around to see Yuki behind him.

"And besides... You need your rest. You'll only open your wounds up even more if you move around." Yuki added. "_You_ dressed my wounds, Yuki?" Hatsuharu blinked.

"Aww, I knew you still loved me."

"How many times do I have to tell you - Save those lines for Rin please." Yuki sighed.

The gauze that Yuki had attempted to dress the wounds on Hatsuharu - mainly his back and chest - slid off of him and into his lap and around his waist.

Hatsuharu stared blankly at the bandages. "You really suck at dressing wounds, y'know that Yuki?" Hatsuharu told the Rat with a straight, blank face.

"But that's okay, I still love you."

"Please stop with the love remarks." Yuki groaned. All of a sudden, all of Hatsuharu's wounds disappear. "Unlike Tohru, who has the ability to heal both hers and others wounds, and Rena who can only heal others wounds using a large amount of power, I have only the power to heal my own wounds." Hatsuharu explained.

"...What was the point of me attempting, and failing miserably, to dress your wounds if all you was gonna do is make the wounds disappear?" Yuki muttered.

"Is... Is Rena alright? The last I saw her... If something wasn't done, she would've died..." Hatsuharu murmured. "I'm... Not sure about Tsujitani-san." Yuki admitted.

"She looked very bad to me. She didn't have as many wounds, but she was bruised all over, and bleeding really badly. If she didn't die from bleeding to death... She could've died from heart failure. I'm not sure. But Nii-san sure has been quiet..." Yuki trailed off.

"Jees. I just hope Rena isn't dead." Hatsuharu ran his hand through his short white hair. "You really care about her... Don't you?" Yuki whispered.

"The princess is my responsibility, almost as much as she's Ayame-nii, Hatori-nii, and Sensei's." Hatsihari replied. "And... She's one of my best friends."

" I've been guarding Rena for the the last half of her life. For the past eight years... I have been her protector. Her chosen. All for Rin's sake. But... I didn't _just_ protect Rena because Rin's life depended on it..."

"I protected her because I _wanted to_. Because I don't want for her to get hurt. And because... I don't want that dirty son of a bitch bastard to EVER touch her again." Hatsuharu growled.

"What... Dirty bastard?" Yuki blinked a few times. "Don't worry about it, Yun-yun. I love you too much to get you worried." Hatsuharu responded.

"Why are you calling my Yun-yun?! And stop saying things like that!!" Yuki exclaimed.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Hn? Who could that be?..." Yuki wondered out loud, walking to the front door. "Who is it?" Yuki opened the door.

"HI YA YUN-YUN!!"

Yuki slammed the door wit hall his might and locked it fast. "Who was it?" Hatsuharu asked, walking up to Yuki.  
No one important." Yuki answered.

"Yun-yun? What's wrong? Why did you slam the door close? Did a bee try to get in? Are you afraid of bees, princess?" Kakeru banged on the door from the outside.

"Hey! Don't make me hit you!" Yuki threatened. Hatsuharu unlocked the door and opened it. "Yun-yun, it's Kakeru-kun. I think he's here to see you." Hatsuharu turned back to Yuki.

"Yun-yun!" Kakeru rushed to Yuki, hugging him. "Why, Haru? Why did you open the door? Why did you let him in? Why?!" Yuki groaned miserably.

--

"So? How is she?" Ayame asked the Dragon. "...Why are the walls pink with red hearts and wings and clouds? Amd why is the room bordered with gold?" Hatori suddenly asked.

"Shigure re-decortated. Now what's Rena's status?" Ayame inquired. "...It's really interesting how the blanket matches with the wallpaper. And the light pink sheets and pillow cases." Hatori changed the subject once again.

"He made their beds match the room." Ayame said impaitently. "The light pink curtains and carpet are impressing as well." Hatori ignored Ayame.

"Tori! How is she?! How is Rena?!" Ayame demanded. "Please. Tell me how she's doing. I'm... I'm desperate to know." "...She's..." Hatori sighed, walking over to Rena's bed, where she laid in deep sleep.

"I was able to stop the bleeding and heal her bruises completely. I gave her medication to help with the pain too. I made sure she would be comfortable too, so... There's not much more I can do." Hatori told the Snake.

"Is she alright?" Ayame asked.

"...I... I don't really know, Ayame. It's... Hard to tell. The only sign of life I can find coming from her is her pulse. It's... really weak and faint... And sometimes it stops for a fe wseconds... But at least it tells us she's still somewhat alive..."

"At first... She kept calling out for everyone - You, me, Shire, Momiji, Haru, Tohru, Kyo, Kagura, and Kyo. She... Was crying in her sleep. It hurt to watch her... In so much pain. Eventually, she fell silent, and that's when he body temperature started to drop dramastically."

" She's trying to fight it. For all of us. So if she doesn't make it... Don't take it too hard on yourself. There's nothing you can do. Whatever will be, will be. Whatever won't, won't." Hatori walked past Ayame and towards the door.

"I'll... Leave you alone with her for a while, seeing your more... Attached... Literally... To her than the rest of us are. Call me if you need me for anything." Hatori left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ayame sighed, pulling a chair up to Rena's bed and sitting down in it. "Rena... Ayame bent ober and took Rena's hand into his own.

_"Your hand... Your skin... Your touch... It's all so icy cold..." _Ayame thought. _"Why is your body so cold, Rena-chan? Why aren't you breathing? Why won't you open you eyes? Your lovely, lovely eyes? Why are you so limp and motionless? Why won't you smile and say, 'I'll be alright, Ame-nii. You don't have to worry about me!' like you always do?"_

"Please, Rena... Don't go. Don't leave me. Don't... Die on me. Please." Ayame whispered as he lowered his head to Rena.

Standing outside of the door was Hatori, who had been listening to Ayame. Quietly, Hatori walked away. _"Rena-chan... None of us want you to die on us. But please... Don't die on Ayame, if anyone. He's lost everything he was able to obtain up until recently, when he came to the Future." _Hatori thought.

_"He... Was in total chaos when the Darkness took over and everyone and everything he loved died. And when... You left us to start a new life in the Future. It was all... Hardest on him, I think. So please, Rena... Wake up. Wake up and save Ayame from losing the will to smile ever again. Save him... Or he will suffer just as I have." _

--

"Hey, Yun-yun, you got anything to eat around here?" Kakeru asked as he entered Yuki's room with Hatsuharu and Yuki. "He doesn't, but yeah, that's be a great installment." Hatsuharu told Kakeru.

"Kakeru, why are you even here?" Yuki sighed. "Oh yeah! That's right!" Kakeru snapped his fingers. "Mayuko-sensei, you teacher, told me to tell you guys about our field trip on Monday."

**(Today was Saturday, and they have school one Saturday in Japan. Well, some schools require it every Saturday, and some, one or two Saturdays in the month.)**

"Field Trip?" Hatsuharu raised a curious eyebrow. "Yeah. To Mount Fuji. Mayuko-sensei is taking a group of kids from the school. Your class, and a group of 1st and 3rd year students. Where's your orange-headed friend?" Kakeru asked.

"He's upstair withTohru and the others." Hatsuharu answered. "Call him Kyon-Kyon." "Okie Dokie!" Kakeru raced upstairs.

"...Well, it's better _Kyo_ having to put up with him than _me_. _He'll_ be the one with the head achem not _me_." Yuki said mostly to himself.

"Should we follow him upstairs? Just to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?" Hatsuharu inquired.

_(Coming from upstairs)_

"HI YA KYON-KYON!!"

_**WHACK!**_

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!! GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE!! AND DON'T CALL ME KYON-KYON, DAMMIT!!"

_(Back downstairs)_

"It would appear so..." Yuki sighed. "We can't let Kyo kill him, sadly enough. How... Disappointing..." Yuki sighed. "... You're truly cruel to that guy..." Hatsuharu muttered, following Yuki upstairs.

**Me: And thus, they save Kakeru-kun from Kyo's evil clutches!**

**Kyo: Who are you calling evil?!**

**Me: You. (smirk)**

**Kyo: (glares)**

**Me: Well, you DID hit Kakeru-kun!**

**Kyo: So? What's your point?**

**Ghsneko: KYO-KUN! **_**KYOOOOO-KUUUUNNNNN!!**_ **runs to hug Kyo**

**Kyo: Damn! Another Kyo Fan Girl! (runs away)**

**Ghsneko: YOU CAN'T RUN FROM MY LOVE KYO. I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO LET YOU. (hugs kyo)**

_**POOF!**_

**Ghsneko: I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you... (hugs and cuddles Kyo in his Cat form)**

**Kyo: (glares) Another Kagura... Dammit...**

**Me: (ROFLMFAO)**

**Kyo: (glares at me)**

**Me: Sorry, couldn't help but to bring her in. She loves you.**

**Kyo: I DON'T CARE. GET HER OFF OF ME.**

**Me: Nope, I'm not about to get in between you and a Kyo-crazed reviewer. That's like, SUICIDE. lol**

**SWD: You're so mean to him, EGP.**

**Me: (shrug) Ghsneko's happy.**

**SWD: lol. Read and review please!**

**Ghsneko: (still hugging Kyo) I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you...**

**Me/SWD: (shakes heads) I hope borrowing you and putting you in the A/N notes out of pure humor doesn't upset you, Ghsneko!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Me: Chello dearys!**

**SWD: Hey there.**

**Me: Well, to prevent any more hesitation and get right down to the point, we shall start the chapter!**

**SWD: I just want to get this over with... **

**Me: lol Start the chapter**

**SWD: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

**Me: Roll 'em!**

**SWD: ...**

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Aw man Kyon-Kyon, you didn't have to crush this cell phone." Kakeru complained, holding up the destroyed phone. "You should be more worried about the lumps over your head." Kyo retorted.

"But this isn't mine..." Kakeru trailed off. "Eh? Then whose was it?" Tohru asked. "Oh, it was Machi's!" Kakeru smiled brightly.

_-Silence-_

"Well, you're dead." Yuki said bluntly. "Can't say it was nice knowing you." "Aren't you going to miss me, Princess?" Kakeru asked. **"NO. NEVER."** Yuki glared.

**"STOP CALLING ME A PRINCESS."**

"...You're a scary princess, Yun-yun... But I stil love you!" Kakeru hugged Yuki. "Oh great. Now you sound like Haru." Yuki sighed. "Can't I ever win?"

"Nope, Yun-yuin, because you're a spoiled rotten little rich girl princess!" Kakeru grinned. "Don't make me hurt you, Kakeru." Yuki warned.

"Why the hell are you here anyway?" Kyo demanded from the flying pot. "Oh yah... Mayuko-sensei told me to tell all of you about our field trip Monday. Read it." Kakeru handed Hatsuharu a piece of paper.

Hatsuharu read the paper out loud to everyone:

_Dear Students,_

_I have organized a field trip for a group of our 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students. This time, we will be heading to Mount Fuji. We will have many activities to do, such as the Fuji Search, and the Climing Contest!_

("A FUJI search? The CLIMBING contest?" Kyo raised a brow. "What the hell?" "Don't ruin it for her. It was the most creative name she could think of in five minutes." Yuki sweat dropped.)

_Transportation there and back will be provided. We will be leaving eight o'clock in the morning, and returning the next day at twelve fourty-five in the afternoon. All of the students attending as as followed: Toudou Kimi, Kuragi Machi, Sohma Momiji, Kinoshita Minami, Sakuragi Naohito, Manabe Kakeru, Uotani Arisa, Hanajima Saki,Tsujitani Renee, Sohma Kyo, Sohma Yuki, Sohma Hatsuharu, Honda Tohru, Minagawa Motoko, and Sohma Akito._

_Also, there will be a VERY special treat after our tour of Mt. Fuji that none of you would have expected and will worship me afterwards! You will absolutely LOVE it. So remember to bring something to sleep in, a swimming suit and swimming assessories, a bagged lunch, and a change of clothes. And something to keep you busy on the way to and from Mt. Fuji. Remember... Lost items are NOT my responsibility, therefore, you must hold on to it. I suggest bring a back pack to hold all of these items._

_You don't want to miss out on this golden opportunity, so please, have your money for the trip so that you may attend. The fee is only one hundred dollars per student. You MUST turn the money in on the day of the field trip, the morning you arrive there. Trust me, it WILLbe worth it, and will NOTt be a waste of your money._

_See you there, _

_Mayuko Shiraki (The Great Teacher Mayuko)_

"Hmmm... She spelt Rena's name wrong..." Hatsuharu stared at the paper. "A field trip?! That's wonderful!" Tohru squealed. "WHAT?! Let me see that!" Kyo snatched the paper out of Hatsuharu's hands, reading it over and over again.

"What's wrong, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked. "One hundred dollars?! For a stupid trip to see a stupid mountain?! And then to do something stupid that she thinks we will love afterward?!" Kyo twitched.

"That's a lot of money! And for us to need it in two days?!"

"Well... Rena-chan and I have been saving our money together, so we'll have more than enough to go. Will you be able to go, Kyo-kun? If not, I'm sure Rena-chan won't mind if we pay for you." Tohru offered.

"No... That's alright. I have the money. Unfortunately, I'll be broke afterwards." Kyo sighed. "Man I hope it'll be worth it." "If you're only going to complain about it, then just don't go." Yuki crossed his arms.

"I didn't ask for your opinion." A vein popped out of Kyo's head. "Yuki-kun, Hatsuharu-kun, Kakeru-kun, will you be able to go?" Tohru asked.

"Well, I'll have to ask Ayame about it. I mean... I don't want to have to ask Mother, and I'm sure Ayame won't mind. I'll just have to be NICE to him afterwards..." Yuki shuddered.

"But don't worry, Honda-san, I wouldn't miss spending a day with you and and all of my friends for anything."

"I'll be going. Mom and Dad have plenty of money on them, so all I have to do is ask." Kakeru grinned. "I've already asked Minagawa-senpai, who says she will go since this will be her last chance to go on a field trip in high school, Minami-chan, Naohito, Machi, and Kimi. They're going for sure. I haven't see Sohma-senpai, though..."

"You mean Akito? I can't believe he's being allowed to come. After all... He's only been attending school for a day." Hatsuharu growled to himself.

"What?! Akito-san goes to our school?!" Tohru gasped. "I didn't know!!" "That's because today was his first day, Tohru-kun. Momiji-kun and I met up with him a couple times... And he started the whole Dark Collision thing." Hatsuharu explained.

"Ah... So now, Akito attends our school... But the school year's almost over..." Yuki trailed off. "It's just another way to get closer to Tohru, Yuki, Rena, Momiji, and me. Figures..." Kyo mumbled under his breath.

"It's okay Kyo, you don't have to get so gloomy, because I'M here!" Kakeru swung an arm around Kyo's shoulders. "I hardly even know who the hell you are!! You're that _damn rat's _friend! Why are you bothering _me_??" Kyo yelled.

"Because..." Kakeru paused for a minute. "...Because?!" Kyo tapped his foot impaitently. "Because... You're the princess's... LITTLE SISTER!! You're the Small Lady!" Kakeru exclaimefd.

Both Yuki and Kyo whacked Kakeru across his head simultaneously. "This guy's too much to handle. He's giving me a migraine." Kyo muttered. "You guys sure do like hitting him..." Hatsuharu said under his breath.

"T... Tohru-kun..."

Tohru turned around to see Momiji weakly opening his eyes and trying to sit up. "Momiji-kun!" Tohru grabbed Momiji, holding him steady before he fell.

"Y-You shouldn't be trying to move!! You're still not in anu condition to get back up!!" Tohru laid Momiji back down. "We're alright, Tohru." Arisa sat up.

"Did we worry you, Tohru? We are very sorry if we did." Hanajima apologized. "We're okay now, Tohru-kun. Really." Momiji assured the onigiri. "We only fainted. We'll be okay. Where's Rena-chan?"

"Oh great. That damn yankee's awake." Kyo sneered. "I'm not too happy that your face is one of the first ones I wake up to either." Arisa retorted with an equal sneer.

"Hey you guys, I'm finally back with the - " Kagura stopped as she walked into the room, seeing everyone was okay. "I guess I didn't need to get this." Kagura sighed, putting away the bottles of medicine.

"How many did you buy anyway?" Kyo asked. "Well... I brought all of them!" Kagura answered.

"And how many is that?"

"Sixty - two bottles..."

_-Silence-_

"...Why so many?" Yuki asked. "Only three people need some medicine. Not a whole village."

"Well, I wasn't sure what exactly was wrong with them, and I didn't wanna get the wrong medicine, and they were all on sale, and I didn't know how long them being sick would last, so to make sure I had enough and all thay stuff, I bought all of them!" Kagura explained.

Hanajima silently walked over to Kagura and drunk five of the bottles of medicine like they were soda. "Thank you, Kagura-chan. It was very thoughtful of you to buy this medicine for us. I will take it and devour it at once." Hanajima opened another bottle.

"But it could really use some meat to go with it."

"...Weirdo." Kyo muttered under his breath. "Of course I got some for you, my dearest Kyo-kun. This can be our Medicine of Love." Kagura popped up beside of Kyo.

"Not even in your dreams." Kyo responded."Hey, where is Tsuji-chan? I've seen everyone but her so far..." Kakeru suddenly changed the subject.

"She's in the next room with Ayame-san." Tohru informed flying pot-kun. "She's... Sick. Really sick."

"Really? Then I'd better go over there and give her some of this medicine!" Kakeru grabbed a bottle of medicine and ran out of the door. "Wait, Kakeru-k," Tohru was interrupted by Arisa.

"Let him go, Tohru. It's not really like you can stop that guy anyway." Arisa held her hands behind her head. "Man, my head hurts..."

Hanajima floated over to Arisa quietly and offered her a bottle of medicine. "Uh, I don't think so. I don't do medicine." Arisa pushed the medicine away.

"I'd much rather suffer in pain than drink that disgusting crap in a bottle people try to pass off as a cure for sickness." "Gee, _that's_ a nice way to put it." Yuki sweat dropped.

"This really needs some meat..." Hanajima complained.

--

"Rena..." Ayame trailed off. He had been nursing her and doing the best he could to keep her warm.

But she was still icy cold.

And her pulse was getting weaker and weaker

"Rena, please... Don't leave me all alone. Please... Wake up!" He begged once more in vain. Ayame could feel the tears wanting to build up in his eyes.

Rena was his baby, his little girl. She was like a daughter to him. He loved her more than anything else in the world. She was the first person he truly cared about.

And if he ever lost his daughter...

One of the few things that helped him keep going, after he lost everything else to the Darkness...

He'd lose it, and his heart would shatter.

And nothing and no one would be able to help him recover

Not Yuki...

Not Honda Tohru...

Not his family...

Not even Mine. **(Mine of this time. Mine of the Future and everyone was lost to the Darkness when the planet died etc. lol if your confused about it, just go along with it for awhile)**

"Rena... Please don't go. I'm _nothing_ without you, my small... precious... _precious _flower..." He carassed Rena's icy cheek. "Oh Rena-chan... I remember the day I first met you... Two weeks after you were born. I remember it like it was yesterday, holding you in my arms..."

"I have to admit it to you... At first, Rena-chan... I _despised_ you. I _detested_ you. I _hated_ you. I didn't care at all for you. But in no time at all... I came to love you more than anything. You becaome very precious to me."

"You were so adorable and small... Rena... All of my happiness and joy was possible because of Ryo Tsujitani, and also Hatori, who forced me to go."

"Ryo... Yes, your big brother Ryo, Rena. And he's the reason why I was able to meet you. Even to this day, I am grateful to him."

**Beginning of Flashback**** (16 years ago)**

"Hey Ayame, Hatori, Shigure!" A ten year old boy with chocolate brown skin, short wavy black hair, and energetic white eyes walked up to an eleven year old Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure Sohma.

"Why hello, Ryo. What is this pleasant surprise due to?" Shigure greeted the boy. "My Mom's in the hospital. The baby's been born for two weeks now, and I'm finally allowed to see it!" Ryo grinned.

"Your new sibling... It will be one of the 6 chosen, won't it?" Hatori inquired. "Yep. Good ole Kazuma-sensei checked it out. He said he'll bring the baby to my house tonight." Ryo replied.

"Ryo... Is the baby a he or she?" Shigure asked curiously. "Wouldn't the Most Pervered and Lecherous of the Three Princes of the Whole Entire World like to know that?" Ryo crossed his arm.

"The baby's a she. She's my baby sister."

"A girl... How very interesting..." Shigure smirked. "You are wrong in so many ways to so many levels.' Hatori sighed. "You're awful quiet, Ayame. Don't you have a baby brother, too? And isn't he one of the Chosen as well?" Ryo asked.

"...Yeah, I believe that's what Mother said, anyway. I think that baby's suppose to be my kin..." Ayame responded. "but I don't

care for him too much."

"You're truly cruel to him. And by the way, your brother's name is _Yuki_." Shigure sweat dropped. "Maybe the reason I can't remember his name is because he's too insignificant to mean a thing to me." Ayame smiled.

"...Well, listen. You guys are really good friends of the family. Not to mention, you're the Princes of the Universe. So... You guys can be her god brother!" Ryo exclaimed.

"God brothers?" Hatori raised a brow. "You're right, you're right. What was I thinking?" Ryo swung his arms arounf Hatorii and Ayame's shoulders.

"You can be her god _sisters!_"

"get your arm from around me before I resort to violence and rip it off." Hatori threatened bluntly. "How about god mothers then?" Ryo asked.

"Get off of me." Hatori growled. "Okay, okay, you don't have to tell me twice!" Ryo held his hands up in defense. "I feel so left out and lonely..." Shigure trailed off.

"Well, when you guys get the chance, you should stop by my place tonight. My sister might be home by then." Ryo turned away, leaving.

"So... Are we gonna go see the baby?" Shigure asked. "We have to. Kazuma said it was one of the Chosen, and he has the power to sense things like that. We'll have to take her sooner or later. It's her destiny to rule." Hatori pointed out.

"I don't want anything to do with the infant." Ayame crossed his arms. "I really don't care whether you want this or not. You're going to come with us to see the Chosen of Light. Whether you like it or not." Hatori retorted.

"...Hm... Fine. I'll be at Ryo's house tonight, let's say... tenish? No, eleven o'clock tonight works for me. I'll be there." Ayame replied, walking off.

"Why so late?..." Shigure trailed off. "What's his problem?" "I don't know... Eleven's only in four hours. I'm fine with that too. See you then, Shigure." Hatori headed off, walkign in a different direction than Ayame had.

-Change in POV-

"Mama, they're going to see the baby! The Princes are coming to see the baby!" Ryo tolf his mother. In the hospital bed laid a woman, about 27 years old, with long black hair that feel to her waist and gentle white eyes.

"That's good, Ryo." The woman weakly raised her hand to ruffle Ryo's hair. "She looks... More like your father. The baby... But I guess that's natural. I mean... Your father was a full blooded Tsujitani, ans she's the Chosen from the Tsujitani Family."

"Ryo... I love you so much. You, and your baby sister. But incase I can't be around... I gave Kazuma something to give to you."

"Wha... What do you mean, Momma? Of course you'll be there!" Ryo replied. The woman hugged Ryo tightly. "Of course, I'll always be with you. In your heart, Ryo." She whispered to her child.

"Momma... Why are you talking like that?" Ryo asked. "It's... Nothing. Ready to see your baby sister?" The woman asked. "Of course I am! Been waitin' for the last nine months!" Ryo remarked.

His mother laughed. "Promise me you'll get along with your little sister and protect her always, Ryo." "I'm gonna be a big brother, Mama. That's what big brothers do!" Ryo grinned.

"She'll look up to me! Oh, and literally too!"

"Excuse me, Toyohashi-san, but visiting hours for children without an adult are now over." A man walked into the room, obviously the doctor.

"Ja ne, Okaa-san! Aishiteru!" Ryo hugged his mother again. "I love you too, my dear son." The woman hugged Ryo back, kissing his forehead.

As Ryo left the room, the woman laid back and thought to herself. _"Anata-kun... Anata-kun, you died and left the world of the dearly departed shortly after I became pregnant with our second child." _The woman, Mimiru Toyohashi, began to think.

_"Anata-kun... Our poor, sweet Ryo... He's already sad enough over your death. But what would he do... If I would die? And... His sister... Be dumped on him? Could he handle taking care of his sibling? Another human life? When he is but a child himself?"_

_"Oh Ryo... I fear that I may soon be joining your father in the Afterlife. Please... Take care of your sister and yourself. I'll always be with you... In your heart... Dearest Ryo..."_

"Kurosaki-san, hurry! Toyohashi-san fainted!" A nurse gasped. "Her pulse is starting to get weak! Kuro-senpai, we have to do something!"

"Alright... Bring in the other doctors. We'll do the best we can to save her." The doctor replied. "Hai!" The nurse nodded.

"Oh, and Kinoshimoto-san?"

"Hai, Kuro-senpai?"

"Don't call me Kuro-senpai."

"...Hai Kurosaki-senpai..."

-Change in POV - Four hourse later-

"Hey! Hari! Hari, look! Look, I'm over here, Hari! Hari! HARI!!" Shigure yelled, running towards Hatori, who was the second one to arrive outside of the Tsujitani Village.

"Shut up, you idiot. You're disturbing people. I can hear you." Hatori shot, walking right past Shigure. "Aww, Haa-kun! You're so cruel!" Shigure complained.

"Get over it." Hatori responded.

"I'm here."

Hatori and Shigure turned arounf to see Ayame slowly approaching them. "Ah... So you actually decided to come, Aya." Shigure greeted the Snake. "I told you I would come, didn't I?" Ayame shrugged.

"Hey you guys! Over here!"

The Mabudachi Trio turned around to see Eyo waving at them from in a house. "We're coming, Ryo!" Shigure ran towards the preteenage boy.

"Why are all of you idiots making so much noise? People are sleeping!" Hatori muttered, walking with Ayame up to Shigure and Ryo.

"Has Kazuma come yet?" Hatori inquired. "No... But he just called and said he'll be here in a few minutes. Don't just stand out there, you guys! Come on in! Make yourselves at home!" Ryo opened the door wide open, letting the three Juunishi animals in.

"Are you three hungry? I'll make you something to eat if you are. How about ramen?"

"This house is quite large... And in tip top condition... A sickly mother and her young son were actually able to afford all of this?" Ayame sneered.

"Ayame," Hatori said in a dangerous tone, glaring. Ryo stopped, hearing Ayame. "...No... It's... Okay. He's right. It is a bit... Unbelievable... Isn't it?" Ryo turned back to Ayame.

"...Mom and I get a lot of money every month from Dad's Death Insurance. My Dad was a brave warrior that served to protect up against all evil before the Chosens were born. One of the best, actually. And bravest. So until I turn eighteen... We'll continue to receive large amounts of money." Ryo began to explain.

"Plus... I have a part time job. I work, go to school, do all the cleaning, and buy all the food and clothes and toys. And the other help sometimes too, all for the baby, our Head of the Tsujitani Family. Everything has to be _just perfect_ for her, when she stays here." Ryo explained.

"Ah... Now you only have one part time job... Right?" Shigure asked. "Right, I have to be able to balance my job work and school work. And so that with all the things that keep me busy, I'll be able to relax and just sit around sometimes." Ryo answered.

"Did any of you think that maybe... Just maybe... That small infant... That baby... May not be worth all of this?" Ayame muttered.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "...Um... I'll go get that." Ryo rushed to the door in the other room. "Ayame, you're being rude." Hatori turned to the Snake.

Ayame shrugged. "Hey, you said I had to show up. You never said I had to be nice too."

"Aya, you're making Ryo feel uncomfortable. He's trying to make a good impress for the baby. Why do you have to go and say things like that to the kid? He's nothing but kind to you." Shigure crossed his arms.

"...I don't mean to be mean to Ryo. I'm just... Stating my opinions." Ayame shrugged.

"What do you have against her? The baby? Ever since you heard about her, you've been acting as though you hate the poor child! What do you have against the baby?" Shigure asked.

"...I don't know. I just... Hate it. I despise that child. Alright?" Ayame responded. "I hate it because I want to hate it. I hate it... Because it's nothing to me."

"...So you're saying you won't care for it?" Hatori inquired. "Of course not. I'd be a waste of my time. I wouldn't be able to even remember the thing's name." Ayame folded his arms.

_"We'll see about that, Ayame. When that baby reaches out its small hand to you... We'll see what you will do. Will you be able to turn it away like you did Yuki? Or will she open your eyes for you? Will she help you stop being so __**blind**__? After all... She's the Chosen of __**Light**__. She'll help you see, with her bright aura. Her bright aura, and her bright prescence." _Hatori thought.

A teenage boy, about 14 years old with short dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, walked into the room, holding a white bundle of blankets in his arms.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything. You three seemed to just stopped in the middle of a conversation." The boy, Kazuma Sohma, looked at the three younger boys.

"...No, you didn't, Kazuma. Thanks for coming." Ayame turned to the teen. "That's good..." Kazuma trailed off. "Can I see her now?! Can I see her now?! Can I see her now?!" Ryo asked excitedly.

"Of course you can. She's your baby sister, after all." Kazuma smiled, handing the baby to Ryo. Ryo lifted the thin blanket that was covering the baby up.

"...Awww... She's so adorable! And small! She's looks _just like_ Mother! She's a splittin' image of her! The baby recieved her beauty! What was Mom talking about she looks more like like father?" Ryo held the baby in his arms.

"...Oh! I see it now! She has father's eyes! She's father and mother in one!"

"May we see this lovely flower blossom?" Shigure asked. "Yep! Take a good look at her cuteness!" Ryo showed the baby off to Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame.

The baby had smooth, soft chocolate brown skin, silky black hair covering her head, beautiful black eyes, and an adorable look to her that gave her a cute innocence.

"My, my, she is a cute one." Shigure agreed with Ryo. "...Ryo... Can I... Tell you something? About your Mother?" Kazuma asked. "Hn? Sure." Ryo looked at Kazuma.

"What is it?"

"...As you may know, your mother has been extremely sick. Ever since she got pregnant with your little sister, she's been sick. Uh... It was a wonder that your mother survived these last nine months, as sick as she was. A miracle, even." Kazuma began telling Ryo.

"But... After your sister's birth... As the days went by... She'd get a little better, but then even sicker than before. It was like she was taking one step forward and two steps back on the road to recovery."

"She knew... While she was in the hospital before she gave birth to her daughter that if she gave birth to that child... She wouldn't make it alive for much longer. But still... She insisted on having the baby."

"Not only because that baby was needed to help balance the world and keep the planet alive... Because she loved her daughter already. It was... A selfless act of love. She... She wanted for your sister to live and be happy with you, at any and all cost."

Ryo felt his heart miss a beat. "Wha... What are you trying to say to me, Kazuma?" He whispered. "...Your mother was slowly dying after she gave birth to your sister. And just an hour or so ago... She... Died. They did everything they could, but... They just couldn't save her. I'm... Sorry." Kazuma apologized.

"What?" Ryo almost dropped his sister. Ryo looked down at the whimpering child. "M... Mother? She died... Too? For _this_? To give birth to... This look alike... _Thing?_ My mother... My entire world... Left me? And was replaced... With this... _Thing?!"_ Ryo's voice shook.

"No... Not Momma too... Daddy... Mommy... No! I can't... I can't take care of _this_! It's just... Too much! No! I don't... I don't want it! Take her back! Take _it_ back! I want my Mother!" Ryo shoved the baby away.

Right into Ayame's arms

_"What does he expect me to do with this? Why hand her to me? I don't want to hold her..." _Ayame thought, his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitching as the baby began to cry loudly.

"Great... Just swell..." Ayame sighed miserably while Shigure tried to suppress his laughter at the ridiculous face Ayame was making.

"Ryo, calm down. It's not the baby's fault or anything." Kazuma reasoned.

"No! My mother was a young and beautiful kind woman who deserved to live a long and good life! She was all I had left, and the only one that cared about me! The only one that loved me! And because of that _thing_... Because she was cursed with a child that possessed the power of Light... She got sick! And she...!!" Ryo felt hot tears rushing to his eyes.

"My Mother was my world! My _everything_! She gave away her life, and died a slow and painfil death! And for what?! That... _Thing?! _That... Insignificant creature?! Now I'm expected to take care of her _and_ myself?! Mother and Father left me with a child to raise? And I am but a child myself?!

"How... Selfish! And inconsiderate! For her to just have the baby and force it on me... I don't want to take care of it! She's not my responsibility! She's not my child! She's not!"

"...Ryo... Here's a note you mother left behind for you. Read it." Kazuma handed Ryo a piece of paper. With a shaky hand, Ryo took the paper and began to read it.

_Ryo_

_I am sorry that I never told you this before, but... I am dying. I fear that I will die soon within a matter of hours. I can feel my life slowly slipping away from me... And by time you get this... I will probably have already passed on to the Afterlife. _

_I... I never intended for this to happen, Ryo. I never meant to have to force her on you, for you to raise her. So... I have no right to name her. Ryo... That child is nameless. And I want you to give her her name. I want for the two of you to be together, and happy. I want for you to be able to love and accept that child. _

_She... She will go through many hardships in life, I can tell. Just as you will also. So please... Name that child. And let that be your promise to take care of and love your sister. I love you, Ryo, and I know you can do it. Have faith in yourself. Watching her grow up and be happy... It'll be worth it, I promise. I should know... I'm a mom._

_Love you always,_

_Mimiru Renee Toyohashi (Your Mother)_

_"Name her? She want me to name that... __**Child**__?" _Ryo thought. _"But Mother... I can't... Take care of another human being. I can hardly... Take care of myself. How can i be expected to raise and protect... Anotherbeing? What... What if sometihng happens to her? Then it'll be all my fault!" _Ryo gasped, thinking panically.

_"...He... Has mixed feelings for his sister right now..." _Shigure thought. _"He loves her, but he dislikes her as well. But still... He has the heart of a big brother. I'm sure he'll be able to fight the urge to put the blame all on his sister... And to love her and protect her." _

"It won't... Stop crying... The stupid, stupid baby... Won't stop crying...!" Ayame growled. "You've barely even _looked _at her, Aya!" Shigure exclaimed.

"Come on! She's so cute! You'll fall right in love with her!"

"No... No I won't... She's so... _Noisy..._" Ayame gritted his teeth. "That _may _be because... she's a _baby._" Hatori retorted. "She's trying to talk to you."

"WAAAAHHHH! WAAAAAHHHHHH! WWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!" The baby cried and whined loudly.

"Shhhh! Zip it! No more crying, okay?!" Ayame put his right index finger against the baby's small mouth, silencing her. The baby blinked, curious about the finger on her lips that silenced her.

Ayame stared at the baby. "Good. You're quiet now, at least..." Ayame sighed with relief. _"...They are right... She is pretty cute..." _Ayame thought, still watching the baby. The baby stared at him back, both silent.

"Ah... Looks like Ayame's having a sudden change of heart." Shigure smiled. "Babies... Do that to people. You just can't bring yourself... To truly hate something so small and cute." Hatori replied.

Ryo looked up at Ayame, watching him interact with his little sister.

_"I... I really don't want anything to do with this child, but... It just keeps... Drawing my attention. I can't... Leave it alone. I don't want to... Stop looking at her." _Ayame thought, removing his finger from the baby's lips.

The baby girl giggled, taking Ayame's right index finger into her small hands. The baby played with Ayame's finger for a few minutes until she eventually stuck it in her mouth and began to suck on it.

Then Ayame remembered what Ryo had said:

--

"She gave away her life, and died a slow and painfil death! And for what?! That... _Thing_?! That... Insignificant creature?!"

--

_"Insignificant creature? Thing? Aren't those the same kind of things I called her before? Didn't I... Say she was useless? Insignificant?" _Ayame thought.

_"I was wrong to think... That she'd be so insignificant and useless. She's... Just a baby. People are all helpless and insignificant in the beginning... No, that's not even right. People __**decide**__ whether to be insignificant, useless, and helpless or significant, useful, and helpful."_

_"I... Was just like her when I was born. Everyone... Starts out like her. So... By calling her an insignificant creature or a thing... That must make me even more insignifant. Even more of a thing."_

_"I realize now... That I was wrong. So maybe if I can help her grow... If I can support her... I'll be able to make up for this hate and detest I have for her. That way... I'll remember her. She isn't so insignificant after all. She's just... A baby."_

"Ryo... The baby. What is the baby's name?" Ayame asked with sudden curiousity for the infant. "Hn? Well... I'm suppose to give her a name, but... I haven't thought of one yet..." Ryo told the Snake, seeming to be brought back to reality.

"You should give this child... A beautiful name. A name that matched her beauty. And you shouldn't... Hate or reject her. She... Didn't mean for the whole thing to happpen with your mother. And besides... If you don't take care of her and love her... Then don't you think that your Mother's death... Was in vain?" Ayame turned to Ryo, holding the baby close.

"Ayame..." Hatori trailed off. "...You... You're right, Ayame. Well... My mother's full name was Mimiru Renee Toyohashi. And because the baby looks so much like her... I want to give her a similar name, so..." Ryo trailed off, thinking.

"... I want to name her Renee Mimiru Tsujitani. But because I want there to be more of a difference in their names as well... Let's spell Renee R - E - N - A instead of R - E - N - E - E. Rena Mimiru Tsujitani will be her name!" Ryo announced the baby's name.

"Rena Mimiru Tsujitani..." Ayame looked back down at the giggling baby . He smiled down at her. "...He is in absolute love with my baby sister, and yet, he rejects his own baby brother with his body, mind, and soul?" Ryo raised an eyebrow, walking up to Hatori and Shigure.

"It's a natural bond between those two. It was very clear that at first... ayame didn't like Rena at all. But sometimes... There are two people who are meant for each other in some way, even at first sight." Kazuma spoke up.

"Ryo... You, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure will love and cherish your little sister for your parents, making up for them not being able to. And that will give them ease in the Afterlife."

"You talk like you're all knowing, Kazumza." Ryo laughed. "Wow Aya, she really seems to like you. A whole lot. You;re being so selfish and momopolizing her all for yourself." Shigure teased.

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with Rena-chan." Hatori halfed smiled. "Yeah... I didn't... But can you blame me for the sudden change in heart? She's just so cute." Ayame smiled, who was still giggling and clapping her hands.

"But Ryo..." Ayame turned to the younger boy. "She's _your_ little sister. I think it's unfair for me to hog her when she's yours. So... Here. Talk to her." Ayame hold Rena out to Ryo.

Ryo slowly took Rena into his arms. Rena fell silent. She looked at Ryo, and started to whimper. "N... No... Don't cry... Why are you gonna..." Ryo began, but stopped when he remembered.

He remembered the awful things he had said and done to Rena:

Calling her a thing...

Calling her an insignificant creature...

Saying that he didn't want her...

Shoving her way like she was nothing...

Looking at her with eyes of hatred and anger...

He remembered it all. And so did Rena. She might not have understood everything he said... But there's one thing people always seem to miss about infants.

Babies and small children aren't stupid - They can understand what you mean by what you say. They understand hate and anger when they see or hear it, they understand when you're saying bad things to them or not.

They understand whether they have been rejected or not.

Ryo's eyes widened in horror. "No... I... I said all of those thing to you? I did that... To you? I... I was that cruel to you? N... No... I didn't mean to... Rena... Rena-chan, please! Gomen Nasai! I'm so.. So very sorry...!!" Ryo apologized, hugging his sister.

"I want to take care of you, Rena-chan. You're not a thing, or an insignificant creature. You're my imotou-san. My little sister. I don't hate you, and I'm not mad at you. I just... Wasn't thinking straight. Dammit... I'm such an idiot!"

"I'm so... So sorry, Rena-chan. Please... Please... _Please..._ Will you forgive me? _Please_?" Ryo begged.

"Please?"

Rena stopped her whimpering and stared at her older brother. Ryo stared back with pleading eyes. "Please, Rena-chan... Now, you're all I have left." he whispered.

Rena reached out to Ryo and grabbed his ear, surprising him. Before long, she was giggling and smiling again. "Arigatou... Rena-chan. If you hadn't of forgiven me... I don't know what I would have done. Thank you." Ryo thanked the infant.

"Mom and Dad... Are really gone, aren't they, Rena-chan? So... It's just you and me now. And with Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure... We'll be one big happy family. Right guys?" Ryo grinned.

"Right." Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure nodded their heads in agreement. "We're here for you too, Rena-chan. Don't forget us!"

_"After that day of meeting you, Rena-chan... My life changed forever more. Hatori, Shigure, and I agreed to help Ryo take care of and raise you, and the four of us together became your legal guardians. I know this is the same for the others, but... Rena-chan... I __**cherished**__ you. I even come aroung to __**loving**__ you, with all of my heart."_

_"You became my world. I was even able to cope with Yuki because of my interaction with you, and a whole lot better too. He started openning up to me, and so did everyone else. I... I owe all of my happiness and joy in life to you, my daughter. If you had never been born... I don't want to even think about how I would've turned out to be. You __**saved**__ me."_

_"Our bound, Rena-chan... Our bound is __**unbreakable**__. So don't die on me, Rena. I still need you with me. Remember our promise? Our promise on that one fateful day?"_

**(Five years later)**

"Ame-nii!" Five year old Rena Mimiru Tsujitani ran up to sixteen year old Ayame Sohma, hugging his legs. "Where have you _been?!_ I haven't seen you in _forever!!_" Rena exclaimed.

"You saw me just two days ago." Ayame chuckled.

"I know, but it felt like forever! I missed you so much, Ame-nii! You and Shii-chan both! I had a lot of fun while you and Shii-chan were gonna - I stayed with Onii-chan, and Tori-nii came over a lot! Where did you and Shii-chan go anyway?" Rena asked.

"We were very busy doing very important work." Ayame explained. "What kind of very important work?" Rena asked curiously.

Ayame scooped the five year old up off of her feet and her her in his arms. "Work a little princess doesn't need to worry about. Didn't you go off to Tohru-hime's palace? Did you see Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, or Kagura-chan?"

"Of course I did! We're together as much as possible! 'Member? You, Tori-nii, Onii-chan, and Shii-chan said we had to be." Rena replied. "Yuki-kun, Tohru-kun, Kagura-chan, and Kyo-kun are all really nice! But sometimes Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun argue a lot."

And Kyo-kun seems to not like it when I call him Yo-yo... You know, like, short for Kyon-Kyon. He hates it." "I'd think so. Sounds like Kyonkichi to me." Ayame laughed to himself.

"Ame, how come you and Shii-chan have been leaving lately? Where do you and Shii-chan keep heading off to?" Rena inquired. Ayame sat down with Rena in his lap.

"We're having many problems wit hAkuryous lately. There seems to be more and more everyday. And since you and the other Chosens are too little to defend yourselves from them, Shii-chan and I have to take care of them, while Torimakes sure you and the Chosens are alright." Ayame explained.

"Oh... So you mean if I get stronger, you'll take me with you and Shii-chan?" Rena asked. "Maybe one day. But not while you're still a child. This stuff is serious business. You really have to learn how to fight and use your powers first." Ayame showed Rena a long scar going up his arm.

"Or you might get hurt."

"Ayame... You're hurt... "Rena touched the scar. "It'll heal soon. I guess I haven't practiced fighting longer than I thought." Ayame grinned.

Rena's eyes watered up

"R... Rena? Are you crying? Why are you doing that? Rena, stop it. Don't cry." Ayame reasoned ,trying to hush the girl before she started her full-blown five year old bawling.

"I - I can't help it. You g-got hurt trying to protect me and T-Tohru and the others, didn't you? Did Shii-chan get hurt t-too? Is that why Tori-nii didn't me you were f-fighting? Cause he knew the two of you were h-hurt and didn't wanna tell m-me?" Rena asked, crying to herself.

"They're minor wounds, Rena. I'm okay. Really." Ayame insisted. "But you could die one of these days! You can't do that! U need you! You and Shii-chan and Tori-nii and Onii-chan! You guys are all of my family!" Rena wiped at her tears.

"Teach me how to use my power and how to fight. So that you won't have to!"

"But... You're barely five years old." Ayame blinked. "This is not up for discussion, Ayame Sohma. I command you. This is a direct order from your Princess." Rena responded, using the authority voice she heard Hatori use quite often.

"You can't do that, Rena. Then you'll end up getting hurt. What will I ever do if you get wounded like me? Then I won't have you to comfort me and make me feel better, because you'll be hurt too." Ayame hugged Rena.

"...Okay. But you have to promise me something. No, you have to swear an oath to me, Aya. You're not allowed to die on me. I still need you. You have to swear you won't leave me." Rena insisted.

"I swear I won't die on you or leave you if you swear you won't die on me or leave me." Ayame grinned. "I'll never leave or die on you, Ame! I love you! I promise I won't!" Rena exclaimed.

"So it's a pinky promise then?" Rena held up her pinky. "It's a pinky promise." Ayame raised his pinky and crosses pinkies with Rena. **(lol you know what I mean. Pinky Swear thingy)**

"Oh... And one more thing..." Rena smirked. "You have to love me forever and ever, Ame-nii, because I love you a lot, and I'll always love you this much!" Rena jumped on Ayame, taackling the offguard Snake to the ground.

"I think I can keep that promise too." Ayame smiled. "You'd better, or I'll hurt you with my powers!" Rena threatened. "Eeeeeek! Rena-chan's _scary_!" Ayame teased, crawling away.

"I do try." Rena smiled superiorly, flattered.

**End of Flashback**

"Don't you remeber that promise, Rena? You... You're not allowed to leave me or die on me. You can't go, Rena-chan. You can't go! I still... Need you." Ayame whispered.

"Rena-chan... I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I knew... That Akito would be there. I... I should've told you. But I... I didn't. And now look how you're wound up. This is all my fault. I'm so... so... sorry..."

"Rena... Pleas wale up. Don't die..." Ayame lowered his head.

"Stop apologizing... You idiot... I'm not... Dead... Yet."

Ayame looked up, surprised to see Rena breathing heavily and smiling at him. "Man, that hurt like hell... Remind me to get back at Akito for that. My whole body's numb..." Rena complained.

"R... Rena?" Ayame whispered. "Yeah. I remember that promise. I remember our oath. That's why I woke yp, Ayame. I woke up... Because I remembered that... You were there." Rena played with Ayame's long silver hair.

"I was so cold. So cold and numb. I couldn't breath, I couldn't feel, I couldn't move. The Angel of Life couldn't even manage to save me from the Darkness. But still... Even while unconscious... I could hear your sweet voice, Ame. I slowly began to feel warm the more you talked to me. I fought the dark and the cold the best I could. So that I could wake up. And see you." Rena told Ayame.

"Rena..." Tears filled Ayame's eyes to the brim. "You... You worried me to death! Don't you ever do that again! You could've died!" Ayame brought his daughter close, hugging her.

"Yeah... But... At least you're okay now, right? Otou-san?" Rena stroked Ayame's hair. "Rena... I'm so happy you woke up." Ayame murmured.

_"But next time... Next time I know she won't wake up. Next time... They'll both die. Both Rena and... SP I have to try and not let this happen again, despite how it is written in stone and meant to be." _Ayame thought.

"Did I... Did I make you cry, Ayame? Don't cry. Please don't. I like you much better when you're smiling." Rena wiped Ayame's tears away and pulled him closer into a tight embrace.

"I'll be alright, Ame-nii. You don't have to worry about me."

Ayame's eyes widened a little before he smiled seconds later. "Then don't be such a klutz and get yourself hurt like that." Ayame teased.

RING!

RING!

RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!

"Aw man, my cell phone! Crap! I forgot to put it on vibrate again! Oh, Um, sorry, Chibi Suke's calling me!" Kakeru apologized answering his phone.

"Hello?"

"KAKERU MANABE. YOU LEFT ME WITH A SICKLY MACHI AND AN OVER HYPER KIMI." Naohito growled.

"I went you have fun, Chibi Suke!" Kakeru smiled.

"IF MACHI AND KIMI KILL ME... I'LL COME BACK FROM THE DEAD AND KILL YOU TOO."

"...You don't sound too happy, Nao-chan...

"THAT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT."

"Well, tell Machi that I'll buy her a new cell phone."

"Why? Did you end up getting hers broken or something?"

"...No..."

"Uh-huh, then why'd you have to think about it?"

"Tell her it's an early birthday present."

"You tell her." Naohito retorted, hanging up the phone.

"...Well, I have about 5 minutes before an angry Machi calls, so I guess I'll talk to you guys!" Kakeru walked up to Ayame and Rena. "K... Manabe-san? W-What are you doing here?!" Rena cried.

"That's what I was about to ask you, Tsuji-chan. What are you doin; at Yun-yun's house? Do you live here too? Man, I reall need to move in too then! Everyone ELSE gets to live with Yun-yun but ME! I - " Kakeru stopped.

"Hey... I overhead the other's talking... And they said you got severly injuried and were sick. What happened? Did someone beat on you?" he asked.

"N-No! N-Nothing happened! Nope! Everything's just fine and dandy!" Rena laughed crazily, pulling the blankets over her face until it was just below her eyes to hide herblush.

_"Argh! Why do I ALWAYS act like such an IDIOT in front of him?! Get it through your damn head Rena! He's MANABE-SAN, not KEI-CHAN! There's no reason to act this way!!" _Rena mentally slapped herself.

"You're turning really red. Are you sick or something? Do you have a fever?" Kakeru felt Rena's forehead. "No, but you're giving her one. "Ayame smirked, receiving a glare from Rena.

"Sorry I ruined your little fluffy moment there. You're Yun-yun's big brother, aren't you? I've seen you before - You were at the teacher parent confrences!" Kakeru turned to Ayame.

"Ah yes, well, I just do happen to be Yuki's _magnificent_ older brother, Ayame! Please, pleas,e, hold on to your paper, I will sign an autograph for you, my boy, much later." Ayame said dramatically.

"You're such a diva, Ayame." Rena laughed to herself. "You look just like Yun-yun! Oh, I know, you can be... THE ROYAL QUEEN!!" Kakeru exclaimed.

"Yes, well, I do deserveto be a queen, don't I? It's not easy to be this fabulous." Ayame ran his hands through his long silver hair.

"All hail the Royal Queen! She's spoiled, rotten, AND pampered!" Kakeru said technically to no one. "...Manabe-san... Who are you talking to? I don't see anyone..." Rena looked around the room.

"Did you hear thatm Rena? I'm the new Queen arounf here! I am Majesty!: Ayame exclaimed with a flip of his hair. "Yeahm and you're also forgetting something important: You're a _GUY._" Rena muttered.

Kakeru's phone rang.

"Hello?" Kakeru answered his phone.

"You broke my phone." Machi said with calm anger. **(Machi-style!)**

"No, Kyon broke it. It wasn;t my fault. I'll just get you a new one like it, Machi." Kakeru replied.

"You'll need a new _head_ when I finish with you if you can't fix my cell phone, Kakeru."

"Bye Machi, I love you!"

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Mach!" Kakeru hung up the phone, turning it off just incase Machi called again. "Well, she'll be pissed when I go back to her place!" Kakeru said with a bright smile.

"Isn't that a BAD thing?" Rena sweat dropped. "Your friend's cell phone broke, right? Well, let me see it. I might be able to fix it."

"Huh? Kyon smashed it though. But hey, I won't stop you if you think you can do something to fix it." Kakeru handed Rena a smashed red cell phone with a small Mogeta key chain on it.

**(Naturally, since Machi likes red and Mogeta)**

Rena closed her eyes. "Repairing Spell." Rena whispered. A light surrounded the cell phone, and when it vanished, the cell phone was fixed, looking even better than it did when it was brand new.

Rena flipped open Machi's phone and called someone on speed dial to make sure it worked. "Well... Thanks a lot for turning your cell phone. Manabe-san." Rena closed the cell phone.

"Here. You can tell that Machi girl that her cell phone's fixed, in tip top condition." Rena handed the phone to Kakeru. "Whoa, hwo did you do that?!" Kakeru gaped.

"I'm magical." Rena smirked. "Thanks, Tsuji-chan!" Kakeru smiled, thanking the Light Soceress. "I really can't repay you for this."

_"Oh, that smiles of your is MORE than enough, Kei-chan." _Rena thought. _"...Dammit... I did it again..."_

"Oh yeah, Tsuji-chan, here. Drink this up." Kakeru tossed a bottle of medicine at Rena. Rena caught it. "It'll make you feel better. You rest up. We have a field trip when we get back to schol Monday." Kakeru handed her one of the fliers from Mayuko.

Kakeru turned to Ayame. "Goodbye, your Highness." Kakeru bowed ,leaving the room. "The whole Queen things isn't going to go away any time soon, is it?" Rena sighed. "Nope!" Ayame grinned.

"It'll last _FOREVER_! AH HA HA HA!!"

Rena rolled her eyes. "I should change outta this uniform... No matter how good it looks on me... I like this black version of the girls unform better than the blue one... Hey, hand me that dark blue cell phone over there."

"Hn? This?" Ayame handed Rena the cell phone. "Thanks." Rena flipped open the cell phone. "704... 590... 2874... There!" Rena put the number in her cell phone.

"Eh? Whose number is that?" Ayame asked. "Manabe-san's." Rena replied. "Ah... So THAT'S why you called his phone... Just to get his number..." Ayame shook his head.

**(Lol, sorry Flying Pot-kun fans, that's just a random number that I'm gonna say is his number. Not the real thing. If it WAS... I wouldn't share it with ANYONE... lol)**

"Hey, Ayame, Monday, can I go to this thing? I can pay my own way in." Rena handed the flier to Ayame. Ayame read it through.

"I don't see why not. And besides... Hatori and I will be there with Mayuko to supervise!" Ayame grinned. "...Something tells me I shouldn't tell Yuki or Kyo that. I'll let them find that out Monday." Rena smiled to herself, thinking of Kyo and Yuki's reaction.

"Akito will be there, Rena..." Ayame trailed off. "Yeah, I know... And you guys won't be able to do anything, or Mayuko and the other students will get suspicious. But then again, neither can Akito either. Unless Mayuko splits us in groups and I end up alone with him... Dammit... Why do I have the feeling that's EXACTLY what's gonna happen..." Rena cursed silently.

"Everything will be okay. I'm... Sure. You've got my number and Tori's, right? Well, if anything goes wrong... And you can't handle it... Just call, okay?" Ayame replied.

"Alright... I will. Thanks. I'll show Akito who's boss tomorrow night! If I get lucky, I might just kill that bastard! He won't be an easy opponet, though... He's so much stronger than me... But I can take him on!" Rena said with confidence.

"...Well, if you will excuse me, I'm changing out of this uniform." Rena grabbed clothes from the drawer and walked off to the bathroom.

"...It's a shame she doesn't remember... A shame that Akito might not remember... Things would be a lot easier for the two of them... If they hadn't forgotten one another." Ayame sighed.

"Rena will discover that no matter how strong she gets... She will _never_ be able to kill Akito. No matter what he does or says to her. Akito knows this. Which is why he toys with you so much."

"He... Will make you suffer. But he doesn't have it in him to kill you. I... I'm positive. Because if he _really_ wanted to kill you... He would've stayed to make sure no one interfered."

"Akito's no idiot. He must have known that no matter what happened, if he left a way for Hatsuharu to be able to save you... He would. Maybe Akito doesn't realize he does these things. Maybe he doesn't realize that he'll never be able to kill you."

"Soon enough... You will come to realize that... You cannot kill Akito-san, Rena-chan, and Akito will never completely kill you, Rena-chan. I'm sure of it. Because..."

**Me: dn-dn-dnnnnnnnn!**

**Rena: (sneers) As if! I'll KILL that bastard Akito!**

**SWD: Why wouldn't she be able to kill Akito? And why wouldn't Akito kill Rena if he wants her power, and has to kill her to get it?**

**Me: ...Well, let's put it this way, he wants to kill her, but something always stops him. Which is the truth to why Rena didn't die in the Dark Collison - Because Akito make ther be a way for her to escape.**

**SWD: Did he mean to, or was it a mistake.**

**Me: Now, THAT, we do not know :)**

**Rena: I'm sure you know - You're the AUTHORESS.**

**Me: ...Well... IT'S A SECRET. Chapter 30... can't wait... till chapter 30...**

**SWD: Why?!**

**Me: Read and review please!**

**SWD: ...Fine then. Ignore me.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Me: Hallo everybody!**

**SWD: (looks around before sighing) I've been dragged back here... How depressing...**

**Me: No depressing, fun! :)**

**SWD: NO. DEPRESSING.**

**Me: ...**

**Tohru: Can I start the chapter?**

**Me: Tohru-kun! You haven't been in the author notes since... FOREVER!!**

**Tohru: I'm here for Kyo-kun. He's not able to be in the a/n notes today because of the rain. So I'm here instead!**

**SWD: Nice. **

**Me: Well Tohru, start the chapter!**

**Tohru: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story!**

**Me: And the Army of Noseless Smiley Faces!!**

**Reviewers: ...What the hell?!**

**SWD: lol Ignore her.**

**Me: Smile, or I'll use the smiley gun on you! Smile... Or Die!**

**Reviewers: ...**

**SWD: Dammit, I said ignore her!!**

**Tohru: Uh... Um... O-Okay...**

**Me: lol. Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. A lot of things happened recently, so I've been busy. **

**SWD: With SOOOOOOREEEEEEEN :)**

**Me: lol Shut up Nissy.**

**SWD: (shrug) Hey, it's the truth.**

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Rena, you should rest a while longer. Just incase you're not fully ready to be walking around." Ayame advised the light hime. "Are you hungry? "

"Not really. It's okay. I don't want anything to eat." Rena sat up. "Then I will go and make you something delicious to eat!" Ayame said dramatically. "After all... I was a Master Chef when I was your age."

"Master Chef at making the Worst Food in the World? Honestly, I think the not being able to cook thing runs in this family. Or at least yours and Yuki's part of it." Rena retorted.

"Do not worry, dearest Rena! True, you have eaten Yuki's cooking before, but never mine! my skills are more... _Ayame!_" Ayame replied.

"And _that's_ why I won't be surprised if I get food poisioning." Rena muttered. "Well. _Someone_ woke up on the wrong side of the Dark Collision Cocoon." Ayame huffed, crossing his arms and turning away.

"But I'll still get you something to eat." he added, leaving the room. "I could've sworn I told him I didn't want anything to eat..." Rena sighed.

"I wonder if I'll die slow and painfully, or quick and painless... Hmmm..."

--

"Why did you guys pass out like that?" Tohru asked. "It was the pressure from the Invisible Darkness." Hanajima explained. "The Dark Collision had begun."

"What is the Dark Collision? I've heard a few of you guys mention it, so what is it?" Yuki inquired.

"The Dark Collision is when The Dark Lord and The Guardian of Darkness combine their powers and submerge them into the body of the Guardian of Light, whom carries the Angel of Death and the Angel of Life in her body, and attempt to awaken the Angel of Death within her." Hatsuharu began to explain.

"Once the powers of The Dark Lord and The Guardian of Darkness are combined and inside of The Guardian of Light, the negative energy strengthens the Angel of Death, and awakens it."

"The powers of the Angel of Death and the Angel of Life collide, making the powers of Light and Dark clash and fight against one another until one power overpowers the other power."

"What would happen if the Light overpowered the Dark, or vice versa?" Yuki asked.

"Well... It depends. Whether you mean what would happen in the Dark Collision... Or the Final Collision of Darkness." Hatsuharu replied.

"If the Light overpowers the Dark in the Dark Collsion, then the Angel of Light restores life to the Guardian of Light, the Protector and Guard of Eternal Light, Hikari Shiroii, is summoned, and her powers vanquish the Darkness and the AKuryous present, and the Angel of Life puts the Angel of Death back into a deep slumber."

"If the Dark overpowers the Light in the Dark Collsion, then the Guardian of Light would lose her soul to the Darkness, her powers being striped from her, and The Dark Lord summons forth the other Five Eternal Powers, and becomes invincible. The Angel of Life is destroyed, and the Protector and Guard of Eternal Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, Wind and Earth are all under The Dark Lord's control, who is this case, works for the Guardian of Darkness, Akito."

"If the Light overpowers the Dark in the Final Collision of Darkness, then Dark would be demolished permanently along with the Dark Lord, and the World's Demise would never come."

"And if the Dark overpowers the Light... the Dark Lord rules the World, the World's Demise coming shortly after. That's what happened to the Future, the world will be reduced to scarred and eaten away lands and the planet will die."

"That's not the only thing it will do." Momiji spoke up. "...Rena-chan... She plays a big role in all of this." "What do you mean?" Tohru furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's all about her Tsujitani Curse. It's like... A Death Sentence. A... Sacrifice, good or bad. In the Final Collsion... Which isn't but a month away... She... Has to die." Arisa murmured.

"A... A death sentence?" Tohru choked out. "Yes. There's no more time to waste. You need to at least know the truth. The whole and total truth. Before it's too late." Hatsuharu stood up, walking up to the onigiri.

"Tohru, as the Purity Princess, you have to - "

"You jerk, don't tell her that!" Arisa snapped. "Why not? She has to know, doesn't she?" Kyo crossed his arms. "...She is not ready." Hanajima replied.

"That doesn't matter. She needs to at least know." Hatsuharu argued. "She'll know when the time is right." Hanajima argued back.

"There is no time, and you know that! You can't just make time for her ot get comfortable with it! Do you _want_ our planet to die?! Do you _want_ her to die?! Do you _want_ to lose your soul to the Darkness again?! We don't have much time left!" Hatsuharu shouted.

"...She won't do it now. She'll never do it like this. Let her find her inner strength first." Hanajima responded. "What about tomorrow night, Hanajima? What about that?!" Hatsuharu demanded.

"Let's take this thing one step at a time. Think about her feelings." Hanajima insisted. "I do care about her feelings, but I'd rather Tohru be scared than end up dead! Besides, even if we don't tell... Rena-hime surely will!" Hatsuharu pointed out.

"Then let Rena tell her! It's Rena's damn business! I'm already sick of listening to your arguement!" Arisa interrupted. "Let Rena tell Tohru the truth. "Remember your place! You have no right!"

"What? What are you guys talking about?" Tohru glanced back and forth between Arisa, Hanajima, and Hatsuharu.

"...Your friends are right. Forgive me, for even bringing it up. It's... Not my place to tell you. Not mine... Don't worry about it. As long as Rena's able to fight, we'll be okay without you guys help." Hatsuharu patted Tohru's head.

"Forget about it. It's... Unimportant... Right now..."

"But we wanna know!" Kagura argued. "You wanna know? Know this.. Tomorrow night... Be prepared." Arisa responded. "Prepared for wwhat?" Kyo inquired.

"For the worst nightmoare of your lives." Hatsuharu replied. "Tohru-kun, make sure you listen to whatever Rena-chan tells you, and stay with Ayame-nii, Hatori-nii, and Shii-chan. That goes for you guys too, Yuki, Kyo, Kagura. They'lll be able to protect you!" Momiji assured Tohru.

"Protect me... From what?" Tohru asked. "From the Darkness of course, silly!" Momiji exclaimed. "Rena'll explain some things assoon as she musters up enough strength. She may not explain too much about tomorrow night, but... She'll explain somethings." Arisa told Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, and Kagura.

"It's about time you guys learn how to weild your powers." Arisa put her hands on her hips. _"It's... About time you learn the truth about Rena-chan, Kyon... Isn't it?" _Arisa thought.

--

"Rena," Hatori walked into the room. "Are you doing okay?" Yeah. I can't really move much father from here, though. I'm starting to get numb again. And my head's aching, but other than that..."

"...It's Inami... Isn't it?" Hatori closed the door. "... You're the only one who knows of her existence, Hatori-nii. You are the only one I could tell..." Rena murmured.

Hatori sat down on the edge of Rena's bed. "It's time, isn't it?" he asked. Rena nodded. "I believe it is. All Dark Secrets... Must come out and face the light at some point of time. Even mine." Rena sighed.

"When will you tell them?" Hatori asked. "...After I'm forced to eat the disaster Ame's making." Rena responded, smirking. "Then maybe I'l be able to weasel my way outta this is I die from fod posioning."

"... Well, have fun with that." Hatori stood up and opened the door, revealing a grinning Ayame with a dish of food. "Oh goddy, I _sure will_." Rena roled her eyes sardonically.

"Bon appitite!" Ayame sat the tray down and lifted the dish, revealing...

"What. The. Heck?" Rena's eyebrow twitched. "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING?!

"It's my famous dish! It's extremely heathy, and good for you! I haven't decided what to call it yet, though." Ayame told Rena. "Ah... Well... You certainly are... Creative?..." Rena stared at, as we will call it, mutated food.

"Aren't you going to eat it, Rena?" Ayame asked. "No, that's okay. I'm not hungry anymore." Rena sweat dropped. "But I made it just for _you_, Rena won't you at least eat half of it?" Ayame prodded.

"...Fine. Only because I love you." Rena picked up the spoon, took a spoonful of the "mutated food", and stuck it into her mouth reluctantly.

"Well, well? How was it?" Ayame asked Rena eagerly. Rena turned different shades of blue, green, and purple before forcing herself to swallow the mutation.

"It... Was... Delicious..." Rena gulped, trying not to barf. "Didn't I tell u it was more.. _Ayame!_?" Ayame fliped his hair, laughing. "Oh... It sure is... Haha..." Rena sweat dropped.

_"Lord, help me hold it down... I think.. Imma barf... Ugggghhhh..." _Rena though, bending over and covering her mouth with his hand.

"What's wrong Rena? Did you not like it?" Ayame asked. "No, no, not at all! That's not it at all!" Rena insisted, laughing nervously while sweat dropping again.

"Well then, eat up! You need your strength! In the meantime, I'll go get you a beverage!" Ayame left the room.

Rena stared blankly at the dish of food. "Tori-nii... The food... It's growling at me..." Rena whimpered. "I repeat: Have fun with that." Hatori walked out of the room, waving back at Rena as he left.

"Hey! Don't leave me here with this mutated food creature! Hatori! Hatori, get back here! HATORI!!" Rena yelled after the Dragon

--

"Powers? You mean the ones Rena-chan told us about?" Tohru asked. Arisa nodded. "Yeah, those." "What's the big deal anyway? Why is this power and future stuff so important all of a sudden? What's going on?" Kyo demanded.

"It's our love, Kyo-kun. The power of love and our future of happiness. That's what so important." Kagura sighed dreamily as she clung onto Kyo's arm.

"Not now." Kyo sighed. "Nothing really. Besides the fact that Tohru's life is in danger above all others, nothing at all." Arisa responded.

"W-Why?!" Tohru cried. "Becuase... You're the Purity PRincess. Remember?" Hatsuharu reminded the onigiri. "But it's okay Tohru, we have you covered! We always have a strategy incase something like this happens!" Momiji assured Tohru.

"Yes... Yuki is the one who enforced the strategy." Hanajima added. "Go figure." Kyo rolled his eyes. "Jealous you didn't think of something like that to protect Honda-san?" Yuki half smiled, looking at Kyo sideways.

"Don't get so damn conceit! You're not all that!" Kyo snapped. "I never said I was." Yuki retoered. "Not now you guys." Kagura intrrupted, stilling clingong onto Kyo's arm tightly.

"Do you mind letting go?" Kyo shook his arm up and down again and again as fast as he could, trying to get Kagura to let go, but she had an iron grip on his arm.

"I'll never let you go, Kyo-kun! Kagura hugged Kyo's arm even tighter. "I'm bever gonna get outta this one, am I?" Kyo sighed. "Nope!" Kagura aqueezed Kyo's arm.

_"Come on Kyo-kun... I told you... Just entertain me. A little while longer. Just... A bit longer. Then I promise... I'll leave you alone. Humor me... A little more." _Kagura thought.

"You're cutting off my blood circulation... I can't feel my arm... It's so... _numb..._" Kyo struggled to seperate himself from Kagura. "Give it up, Kyon. You're not getting away from her this time." Arisa crossed her arms, taunting the Cat of the Juunishi.

"Shut up." Kyo growled. "Kagura... WOULD YOU LET GO OF ME ALREADY?" Kyo said as calm as he could.

"But Kyo-kun... Don't you want me to hug you?"

"_**NO.**_"

"But... But I love you..."

"_**I DONT CARE**_."

"But Kyo, I love you!"

"_**I DONT CARE. LOVE SOMEBODY ELSE.**_"

"I don't wanna!" Kagura cried, hugging Kyo tightly. "Kagura, you should really let Kyo go. This isn't the time. And besides... His arm is turning purple..." Yuki sighed.

Sure enough, there it was - Kyo's arm: cold, numb, and dark purple.

"Oh my goodness, Kyo-kun! What happened to your arm?!" Kagura asked with alarm, letting go of Kyo's arm immediantly. Kyo turned away from Kagura, rubbing his arm.

"Kagura... I can't humor you like this forever, you know. I'll only do it... A little bit longer. If you'll let up a bit." Kyo murmured, so that only Kagura could hear him.

"...I'm sorry, Kyo-kun..." Kagura apologized. "It's alright." Kyo sighed, pulling down his sleeve. "Kyo... You're getting along with Kagura a lot better... You're becoming nicer." Momiji told the Cat.

_"Not that I would know... But I don't think... Kyo-kun was always as short tempered as he used to be until recently. I think... A long time ago... There was a nice Kyo-kun." _Momiji thought.

"That has nothing to do with it. It just wasn't that big of a deal." Kyo insisted. _"That... And I just don't feel the need to snap at her for everything. I'll... Humor her. For a bit longer." _Kyo thought.

_"After all... That's all she wants me to do. I think... I can at least do that for Kagura. If nothing else."_

--

"Shigure, Shire." Hatori knocked on Shigure's door. "Who _issssss _it?" Shigure sung, calling from the inside his room. "Open the door, you idiot. I mean... _idiots._" Hatori sighed impaitently.

"Why hello, Hatori! What a pleasant surprise!" Shigure opened the door, after several minutes of being an idiot and annoying Hatori.

"You knew it was me all along. Why did you waste a good 15 minutes of my time?" Hatori glared, a vein popping out of his head.

"What? Why - Of course not! How could you even _suggest_ such a thing?! And _why _are you glaring at _me_?!" Shigure asked dramatically.

"I don't know why I put up with you." Hatori sweat dropped. "Listen. Rena's awake right now, but she's still severely wounded mentally, emotionally, and spiritually."

" And even though her wounders are gone, her body should still be aching. She shouldn't move around too much. A lot of dark energy got into her body. Do either of you want to see her and talk to her alone for a minute?"

"I'll go." Shire offered. "I'll just make sure my beautiful house stays clean." Shigure replied. "What beautiful house? All I see around here in a _crappy house._ And the only reason it's a _clean_ crappy house is because of _Tohru-kun._" Hatori retorted.

"Hatori! How can yoube so cruel?! And _heartless_?!" Shigure gasped. "Easy. All I had to do is tell the _truth_." Hatori responded, walking up stair with Shire.

"You knowk, Hari, some people just can't handle the truth." Shire sweat dropped. "You don't have to be so mean."

--

"Rena, I brought Shire up her to see you." Hatori opened Rena and Tohru's door, entering the room with Shire. "Tori-nii. Shii-chan." Rena smiled at them. She was lying down on the bed.

"Are you alright, Rena-chan?" Shire asked, sitting down next to the light hime. Rena nodded. "I don't really feel too good though. My stomach hurts a lot. I think Ame-nii poisoned me with his cooking..."

"You actually ate his cooking?! Oh no Rena, you don't do that. You'll die for sure now!" Shire exclaimed. "Gee, thanks. I love you too." Rena rolled her eyes.

"Are you well enough to get out of bed?" Shire asled. "No. Tori-nii told me not to get out of this bed, or he'd personally drag my little butt back into it." Rena told the Juunishi Dog of the Future.

"However... I really need to talk to the others."

"About what?" Shire furred his eyebrows. "About... Dark Secrets." Rena answered. "All must be revealed to them. Before it's far too late.

"...Hatori, do you comply with this? Should we...? Is she even well enough?" Shire turned to the Dragon of theJuunishi.

Hatori let concern be heard clearly in his voice, "...If The Princess desires this... If she feels that she must... Then we must obey her command. Help her downstair..." Hatori siad reluctantly, sighing.

"I'll go get the others."

"Thanks, Tori. We'll be downstairs in the living room." Rena thanked HAtori. "Up onto my back now, young light sorceress!" Shire put Rena onto his back, giving her a piggy back ride.

"Let's go!!" Shire ran down the stairs.

"DON'T HURT THE PRINCESS YOU IDIOT!! DON'T DROP HER!!" Hatori yeled after Shire. "Oh never mind. I'm not wasting my breath." Hatori sighed, walking to Kyo's room.

"Yuki, Kyo, Kagura, Tohru, Momiji, Hatsuharu, Arisa, and Hanajima. Rena-hime is waiting for you to accompany her downstairs." Hatori informed the teenagers.

"Eh?! Why is she downstairs?! Isn't she sick?! Shouldn't she be in bed?!" Tohru cried in bewilderment. "She _ought_ but she says she has somethinextremely important to tell all of us. Especially you, Yuki, Kyo, and Kagura." Hatori explained.

"Come downstairs with me." the Dragon gestured before leaving the room.

Relucntantly, the eight teenagers followed Hatori downstairs. _"What could Tsujitani-san want to tell us in the condition she's in? What could possibly be so important?" _Yuki wondered.

"Kyo-kun, what do you tihnk Rena-chan has to tell us?" Tohur asked the Cat. Kyo shurgged. "Whatever she wants... I don't care."

"Aparrantly." Yuki retorted inwardly.

The group of eight teenagers **(and Hatori!) **stopped as they approached the living room. Rena looked up at them with different eyes.

Eyes they had never seen before.

Eyes filled with emptyness and a strange expression none of them could descride or even begin to try to compare to. She looked... dead. Lifeless. Emotionless.

Rena's now empty, hard black eyes kept transfixed on the group. "Kyo... Yuki... Tohru... Kagura... Hatsuharu... Momiji... Arisa... and Hanajima... There is something I must tell you right now, at this moment." Rena said, sounding just as icy and empty as her eyes looked.

"We need to talk before it's too late. And before you all lose whatever faith and trust you have left in me." Rena's eyes flashed white.

**Me: lol, sorry the update took so long. List of reasons:**

_**One**_** - A cool online game called Wonderland became part of my life**

_**Two**_** - An awesome guy who we call Soren became part of my life**

**(SWD: She loooooooooves Soren and Soren loooooooooves her. lol. He's the reason she hasn't been updating mostly! He takes all of her time! She hardly talks to MEEEE anymore cuz of him! glares at EGP**

**Me: You know I love u Nissy.**

**SWD: Yeah, and u love SOREN too. **

**Me: shrug I will not lie or deny it lol)**

_**Three**_** - I went on vacation with my family for a few days without a computer or internet access**

**And **_**Four **_**- I wasn't motivated, didn't have the time, or just didn't feel like it lol.**

**SWD: (shakes head)**

**Me: Well, I want to thank all of my reviewers and anyone else who happens to read this story. You guys rock! I couldn't have made it this far without you all :) I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll try to get the next on posted faster. My computer's screwed up again. lol.**

**SWD: Read and review please!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Me: I'm back, my lovely reviewers :)**

**SWD: I'm surprised you actually bothered updating.**

**Me: I'd never upset my reviwers for too long. They get really mean and angry when I do that.**

**Angry Reviewers with Pitch Forks and Torches: YEAH. WE DO.**

**Me: O.O...**

**SWD: Angry Reviewers + Pitch Forks + Torches Death. **

**Me: YES... YES IT DOES...**

**SWD/Me: (glances at each other before glancing at mob of angry reviewers) **

**SWD: Crap... They're here for me too. I need to update a couple of stories... **

**Me: Well, in order to prolong our lives, I say we - **

**SWD: RUN FOR IT!!**

**Me: Exactly what I was gonna say**

**Angry Reviewers with Pitch Forks and Torhces: YOU TWO AREN'T GOING ANY WHERE (traps the authoress)**

**Me: (gulp) Well, might as well start the chapter...**

**SWD: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but this story and her characters.**

**And: And a few broken bones and a trip to the hosptial.**

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Talk? About what?" Tohru asked, confused. "About... The Sohma and Tsujitani Family Curses. About... Who I really am to the Juunishi. And to Akito." Rena replied quietly.

"Please sit down. This will take some time to explain. Hopefully... I will be able totell you a good proportion of the truth. Before my time is up."

Reluctantly, the teenagers sat down, forming a circle on the floor next to Rena. Hatori, Ayame, Shigure, and Shire stood, each leaning against the wall.

"It's... It's funally time... Isn't it... Inami?" Hatori whispered. "Inami?" Yuki raised a curious eybrow. "Bare with me. Allow me to start from the very beginning of our horrible curses. Back to before any of us where bound to a god. From there on... My own secrets will reveal themselves." Rena began.

_**(Bold Printed Italized Underlined words Fragment of a Flashback)**_

"Once, long ago, there was a lonely God who lived in the mountains. The God never caome down to greet people. One day, a cat climbed the moutain and asked if it could stay by his side." Rena started.

"The God was so happy and full of rapture that they had a party, and invited other animals. Every night, the animals gathered for a banquet, and they all had a good time and enjoyed themselves. Especially the God and the Cat. They had become best friends."

"But one day, the Cat fell ill, and was about to die. God was so upset about losing his best friend that her mad him and all the other animals make an oath to him: No matter how many times he and the animals had to be reborn, they had to promise that they'd always come back and join him at the banquets. Forever. And the Cat was the last one to make its oath."

"But after the Cat made it's oath, upon his death bed, it asked God why he made them do a such a thing. The Cat said that all things must come to an end. And God became angry."

"The other animals feared the God's anger and turned their backs on the Cat. Everyone became angry at the Cat for opposing them, and the Cat was forgotten, no longer a true member of their Juunishi."

"It died, feeling bitterness and loneliness.And that is where the Sohma Family Curse began. But at that time... The curse wasn't this complex. It was neither permanent nor strong. Still, the Juunishi animals were all reborn from the unstable curse."

"Itachi Sohma, the second Juunishi God, the Juunishi God of the next generation, owned a young servant girl, now almost a woman, named Inami Tsujitani. She had smooth chocolate brown skin, long wavy black hair that came down to her feet, and cream white eyes."

"She was a very powerful Light Sorceress. A very beautiful one, at that. When Itachi was very young, about seven years of age, the young God hand been faced with a couple."

"The couple, a newborn baby's parents, had found out that their daughter, their newborn daughter, was very... Different. How frightening it must have been for them to witness the newborn's extrodinary powers of Light. Normal peopel like them just couldn't cope with her."

"She was nothing but a freak to her. A pure freak from a horrible nightmare, no matter how cute she was. Just like Itachi. They saw the God as the Head of a freaky family of animals. So they threw the baby at his feet."

" They sold her to them. Like she was mere property. And they left without a regret. That is how the Juunishi God obtained his servant - The Slave of the Juunishi - The Chosen of the Tsujitani Family."

"When Inami became about seventeen and the curse began to weaken greatly, Itachi forced her to perfect the curse to where it would last forever, no matter how hard or painful the work would be."

"All of the Juunishi animals of this generation - The Dog, the Cat, the Rat, the Horse, the Boar, the Ram, the Ox, the Dragon, the Monkey, the Snake, the Rooster, the Tiger, and the Rabbit - all planned to go to the banquet God has arranged for them a few days later. Everyone, including the Cat, was invited."

"On the night of the banquet, The Rat, who highly disliked the Cat, lied and decived the Cat, telling it that the banquet was not that night, but the night following that one. And the Cat believed him."

"So while all the other animals went to the banquet and had fun... The Cat stayed at home all alone. And it only becaome more lonely, it's horrible spirit becoming more and more bitter."

"Not seeing the Cat at his banquet angered Itachi. Remembering what the Cat has said to him upon his death bed. Itachi believed that it was disobediance, insolence, and not to mention disrepect for the Cat to not show up."

"Itachi thought that the Cat had purposely decided not to show, and had broken its oath to him. His disobediance, defiance, insolence, and disrepect would not be tolerated."

"The friendship between the God and the Cat had been severed. It was gone. It had been broken to the poing where it could never be rebuilted or restored."

"For betraying him and breaking the oath, Itachi decided that the Cat must pay a terrible price. It needed to learn its lesson. And to know its place."

_**"The Cat has a rather vengeful spirit, I would imagine, does it not, Inami?" The Juunishi God asked his slave, his grey eyes flashing with hints of anger.**_

_**"Yes, Itachi Kami-sama, it does indeed. I can feel it. Why is it that you have asked?" Inami inquired. "It's about time we reveal that wretched furball's truest form to everyone including it, don't you think?" Itachi leered.**_

_**"Reveal the monster that Cat truly is. Make it suffer and make it miserable. Make it pay for betraying me and breaking our oath!" Itachi ordered.**_

_**"...Hai, Itachi Kami-sama..." Inami nodded reluctantly. "Oh, and Inami?" Itachi asked. "Yes?" I need to ask a flavor of you." Itachi looked Inami into her white eyes.**_

_**"I need you to promise me that you'll never betray me. That you'll never do anything to hurt or harm me in any way. That you'll remain loyal to me abd stay by my side as a friend and servant. Forever."**_

_**"...I promise I will, Itachi Kami-sama." Inami promsied. "...No... That's not... Good enough for me. You're the only one... Who can tolerate me." Itachi began.**_

_**"No matter what I did to you... No matter how much I hurt you, or said mean things to you, you always stayed be my side. You never once became angry at me for it or hated me."**_

_**"When I cried, you didn't get annoyed. When I make a fuss, you didn't get angry. You never hated me. You never... Abandoned me. You're my only... True friend, Inami."**_

_**"Make an oath to me. Swear that you won't ever betray me like that Cat has. That you'll... Stay be my side forever. And no matter how many times we have to be reborn... You'll always... ALWAYS... Come back to me and be both my friend and slave." Itachi commanded.**_

_**"...I swear to you, Itachi Kami-sama, that I will. I will always be your friend and the Slave of the Juunishi. I'll always come back to you, no matter how many times it have to be reborn. And I will never... EVER do anthing to betray or hurt you." Inami swore.**_

_**"Never, my God. I swear to you."**_

"Immediantly, Inami knew what to do. First, she made a magical enchanted braclet out of human bones that came from priests and priestesses. The braclet was in a 'red white red white' pattern."

"The red beads has been clored with the priests' and priestesses' blood, the blook being so thick and drak that the beads appeared to be black. The blood was pure, indelible blood."

_**"This ought to be enough. When worse comes to worse... I will give this to the Cat, if necessary." INami murmured, admiring her handiwork.**_

"Ever since the Cat has opposed the other animals and God, it had been confined. So Inami next stopped at the Cat's confinement area. Unfortunately, the second Cat of the Juunsihi has an attitude a lot like yours, Kyo."

_**"What are you doing here, SLAVE GIRL? What business could you possibly have here?" The Cat sneered, watching Inami open the door, walking into the small room, closing the door after her. **_

"Because they were all animals, they spoke a special language to communicate with each other that humans couldn't understand. However, since Inami was the Slave of this Juunishi, and Itachi was the God, they were the only two who could undersand the Language of the Juunishi Animals. And the Juunishi animals could understand them." Rena explained.

_**You shouldn't say things like that to me, Cat." Inami said quietly, sitting down in front of the Cat. "Cat... You have been opposing... Very opposing... Towards God and the other Juunishi animals lately. You did not attend God's banquet."**_

"Now the Cat had not known the banquet was actually that night, and realized the Rat had tricked him. The Cat was angry at the Rat, and his anger is what made the Cat respond with such carelessness."

_**"So what if I have been 'very opposing'? It's not like anyone cares what I think or feel! If they did, I wouldn't be in confinement, now would I? I would still be an offical part of the Juunishi if they did!" the Cat began retorting.**_

_**"Maybe I just don't feel like going to a banquet for God by force for the rest of my live, and then be reborn and do it all over again for an eternity! All things must come to an end sooner or later! Things must go on and change! God can't make us stay like this forever!"**_

_**"I'll break this stupid curse! I'll break myself free! Tha tway, on one can reject me and keep me licked up in confinement! That way, I'll finally be free! And they'll have to respect me then!"**_

_**"Cat, you're going about this all wrong. We all wish to be free from our curse and bounds. No one wants to live the same way forever. No one wants to live in fear and regret and sorrow for an eternity. But... We have to." Inami began.**_

_**"We just have to, Cat. I fear something even more than those bad feelings or living in an unchanging world. What I fear more then anything is... I fear to leave him all alone again."**_

_**"Itachi Kami-sama... He is afraid of change. That is why he made us stay this way. He doesn't want change, he doesn't want to be alone. I fear to leave Itachi Kami-sama all alone."**_

_**"I also fear what would happen to you or the others if any one of you tried to break this curse. Itachi Kami-sama doiesn't see this as a curse - He sees it as a bond."**_

_**"You have been confined, Cat. He will NEVER let you out again. Now, you're not even allowed to ATTEND the banquets. You... You fight so hard for your freedom... And for respect.."**_

_**"You struggle so much to escape this fate bestowed upon us. So you.. You leave me no other choice but to... To do what I was ordered to do." Inami murmured.**_

_**"God... Itachi Kami-sama... He ordered me this to you, so I must. I fear him. We all fear him. Well, everyone but seemingly you..." Inami whispered, taking the Cat into her arms. **_

_**"I... I must put the fear of God into you. It's... The only way. Cat... To live is to fear, To fear is to live. To be fearless is to die. And to die is to be fearless." Inami told the Cat, stroking its fur.**_

_**"How I wish... How I wish I could be as brave and fearless as you, dear Cat." Inami muttered before a sudden bright light began to surrond her and the Cat.**_

_**"Wha - What are you doing?!" the Cat cried. "Let me go! NOW!" "Please, Cat. Don't... Don't blame him. Don't blame Itachi Kami-sama. It will only make your spirit more vengeful. So please... Don't." Inami reasoned.**_

_**"Blame me instead. This is my doing, my fault. My name, Cat. My name is Inami Tsujitani. Don't forget it. Because when you need someone to blame your pain on so that you can believe it's not your fault... Someone blame so that you can carry on..."**_

_**"Don't blame God. God didn't do this to you. I did. Blame me. My name is Inami Subaru Tsujitani. And I am the woman who cursed you with the Vengeful Spirit of the Cat." Inami said softly before the room was filled with light.**_

Rena stopped, looking up to see Kyo's horrified expression. "You... You did this to me? You're the reason why... Why I'm this way?" Kyo whispered.

"You were cursed by Inami Subaru Tsujitani. Her blood runs through my veins. Her soul is one with my soul inside of my body. And I am her reincarnation. Does that not make her and I the same peron?" Rena asked.

"You... You bastard!" Kyo lunged for Rena out of blind rage, pinning her down to the ground and wrapping his hands around her throat. You...!! You're the one! I'll... I'll kill you! You _knew_ about this! You... You turned me into a monster!" Kyo blarred.

"You're the reason... I'm so different from the others! You're the reason... I'm a monster! You!! It's not my fault! It's yours! All of the people I've hurt... All of the poeple that hurt me... You planned it! You cursed me!"

"Are you satisfied? Are you happy that I'm a freak? A monster? Is that all you saw in me from the very beginning. Was I just a _toy_ to you? DIdn't you _care_ what happened to me? DIdn't you care _at all_?!"

"...No... Of course not. You're cruel. And sick. You _disgust_ me. You could never truly care about anyone butyourslef. That's why you cursed me. It's because... You didn't care."

"You didn't care if I suffered. You didn't care if I was in pain. All you cared about was pleasing and listening to a God, my so-called best friend, and making sure you stayed out of trouble with him!"

"You shouldn't be afrad of him. You shouldn't be afraid of Akito. Because you'll be long gone before they can do a single thing. Because I'll kill you, here and now!" Kyo grasp around Rena's neck tightened.

"I hate you. I hate you so mcuh. This is all your fault. All our fault!! I despise you. I _loathe_ you. And you're gonna die. You'll die, and that still won't satisfy me."

"I want to make yo u suffer for this. I want to make you bleed. I want to hurt you badly, and make you cry. I want bad things to happen to you. Just like they've happened to me."

"Rena... How could you.. How could you _do _that to me? How? Do toy have no heart? I... I won't forgive you... I will _never _forgive you! Not even in a million years!"

Rena felt Kyo's hands begin to cut off her breathing. She was suffocationg. But she didn't do anything. She laid there and took it.

_"I deserve this." _Rena told herself. _"I did a horrible thing to Kyo-kun all those years ago... two thousand years ago... So I deserve to die by his hands."_

_"Even if this won't help any... Even if it means the whole world will die because Kyo killed me and not Tohru... Even if the Tsujitani Family will be reborn, and the Tsujitani curse and Sohma Family Curse will contine... I still deserve to die. It... It is only appropiate that I die by his hands and his hands alone."_

"Kyo, that's enough! You'll really kill her!" Ayame stepped in. "Do you think I'm stupid or something?! That's what I'm _trying_ to do! And for _what_?" Kyo looked down at Rena.

Her eyes held no emotion.

They were still cold and stoic and empty.

They where merely icy black orbs.

No life to them at all.

_"She's not afraid to die." _Kyo realized. _"She's not ready to die, but... She's not afraid. She... Rena... You... You want me to kill you... Don't you?"_

_"You want to die by my hands. You feel that it is the right punishment, even if it will noy satisfy or resolve anyone or anything in the long run. Your eyes hold no emotion."_

_"Rena... Now that I think about it... This isn't the first time your eyes have been like this. They're __always__ like this. Only... When you smile or pretend to be happy... You cover it up well. And no one seems to notice. I think... Somewhere inside... You died. A very long time ago."_

_"Rena... Were you ever truly alive? Have you ever lived? Or have you really been dead, all this time? Is your weak, pathetic spirit... Broken? Are you... 'dead'?"_

"Kyo! I said that's enough!" Ayame yelled at the Cat. "No. I still... Istill want to kill her. I;m still gonna kil her. She _wants_ me to kill her anyway. That's why she's not resisting." Kyo replied.

"Kyo-kun, stop it! Don't hurt Rena-chan! Please! Onegai!" Tohru reasoned. "Didn't you _hear_ what she _said_, Tohru? Are you _deaf_? She cursed me with the Vengeful Spirit of the Cat. She's the one to blame for everything. So then _why_... Why are you protecting her?!" Kyo demanded.

"Kyo, not now. You can't kill her. You're being an idot again. Tsujitani-san said _Inami-san_ cursed you. Tsujitani-san is not Inami-san Tsujitani-san is Tsujitani-san. She's no one but herself." Yuki said in Rena's defense.

"Tsujitani-san coudn't have stopped Inami-san. Tsujitani-san wasn't born for another 3, 000 years. It's not her fault. She's not the one to blame. You can't blame her for something she can't control. Just like no one can blame you for being the Cat of the Juunishi."

"Yeah, but she ALSO said she _is_ Inami! She and Inami have become one! So by killing _Rena... _I can kill Inami too!" Kyo retorted.

"That doesn't make any sense at all, you idiot! You can't kill Tsujitani-san! You can sacrifice Tsujitani-san just to get back at Inami-san! Tsujitani-san doesn't deserve it! She didn't do it! Don't you ever think about anyone but yourself, you ignorant Cat?!" Yuki yelle dat Kyo.

"Apparantly _Inami_ didn't!" Kyo yelled back with anger boiling to a point where it surpirsed even Yuki. "Don't start with me now , Yuki. Not now. Because at this moment... I KNOW I can take you down! And KILL you, if I have to!" Kyo growled.

"Kyo, I'm warning you right now to calm down and stop. Don't make me do something you'll regret." Ayame threatened, gritting his teeth.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want to! I'll be damned if I'll listen to YOU! I'm not afraid - "

Ayame lunged at Kyo, punching him across his face, not breaking a sweat, without even trying. And surprisingly... Ayame's careless and half hearted punch... Was far stronger than Yuki at his maximum strength. And Kyo was sent flying across the room.

"You have to realize, Kyo... I can hurt you. I've I wanted to, I could've _killed _you in a single blow. I'm not the Ayame you know of this time. I won't hesistate to hit you if I absolutely must." Ayame glared at the Cat.

"You're lucky I only wanted to get you away from Rena. I didn't even hit you _hard._ ("What the hell do you mean you didn't hit me hard?" Kyo muttered, rubbing his cheek) I could've shattered you jaw, if I hit you with ONE FOURTH of my full strength."

"I can end you life now, at age seventeen. Is that what you want? Them n listen to me and don;t be so damn ignorant!"

Kyo was shocked to see Ayame like this. Not even Yuki could've hit him _one fourth_ as hard as Ayame just did.

"What... The hell?" Kyo sat up, still rubbing his red cheek. "Ayame... Tends to get that way sometimes. He's... Very powerful, if you didn't notice, Kyo. When Ayame is that way... You can see the resemblance between him and Yuki clearly, can't you?" Hatori spoke up.

_"He's right... The things he said... The way he said it... When Ayame's angry... He sounds JUST LIKE me... He looked... Even more like me. When he's angry... When he fights... There's no question: He's definately my brother." _Yuki thought.

_"I never knew... He could actually be that way. So serious... So powerful... So angry... I could never even begin to IMAGINE how strong he really is..."_

_"There's... More to this Ayame than meets the eye..."_

"You were being taken over with blind rage, Kyo. You don't really want to kill her. Just... Your rage does. And I could not accept it. I will not let you or anyone else kill Rena, if I can help it." Ayame crossed his arms.

_"Ayame-san knew Kyo-kun was serious about hurting Rena-chan... And to protect Rena-chan from Kyo-kun, someone who was a threat to her life and being at the moment... Ayame-san hurt Kyo-kun. Because he was a threat." _Tohru thought.

_"Even though I will Ayame-san hadn't of hit Kyo-kun... I'm glad Kyo-kun snapped out of it. That anger... It didn't belong to Kyo-kun. That wasn't Kyo-kun. It was the Vengeful Spirit of the Cat. And it scared me."_

_"Kyo-kun... I'm glad you're safe from that evil spirit. For now..."_

"Kyo... Don't _ever_ touch Rena like that again. Don't lay a hand on her in attempts of harming her. Or I'll _really_ hurt you next time. You lack skills. You are no match for me. You can't even defeat Yuki, so don't get conceit and think you could ever defeat me. You should think with a clear head before you go around making stupid decisions like that." Ayameturned his back to Kyo.

"Wow. Ayame sounds JUST LIKE the Prince right now..." Arisa whistled low, folding her arms. "Yes... It is rather disturbing... When Ayame gets this way..." Hanajima trailed off.

"He's... Dangerous. When he's like this." "Relax Hanajima. He's cool. He knows how to control himself. He's calm already. Look at 'im. He's not angry or anything anymore." Arisa assured the priestess.

"Ayame won't lose it again. Like he did that time those villagers tried to kill Rena when she was a little girl. He won't lose it. Because he's better than that."

"I'm sorry that I hit you, Kyo. But... I would hit you 5 times as hard if it meant protecting Rena from you. You... You can't just kill her. I won't let you. I won't let anyone hurt her." Ayame held Rena in his arms.

"Ayame's right, Kyo. You can't kill Rena. You don't even have all of your facts straight. That was just the beginning. She's not done yet." Hatori agreed with the Snake.

"There's more?" Kagura furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, there's more." Hatori replied. "Much, much more." _"Just how much is 'much, much more'?" _Kagura wondered.

_"What other secrets is Rena hiding from us? What else could she possibly hide?"_

**Me: There, be happy. I updated. At the cost of a hurting shoulder. So if I don't update again fora bit, you can't blame me.**

**Mike: We can blame SOOOOREEEEEN ;)**

**Me: WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM?!**

**Mike: That's a secrey ;)**

**SWD: OMFG...**

**Mike: Why hello **_**DEAR**_** :)**

**SWD: ...**

**SWD: ...**

**SWD: ...**

**SWD: (explodes) WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE, MICHAEL?!**

**Mike: Because I love you :)**

**SWD: (sigh) **

**Me: Mikey, she loves you too, but go away (lol, not really. Mikey's just being Mikey. He flirts with EVERYONE lol)**

**Mike: But babyyyy...**

**Me: WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!**

**Mike: (smirk) Baby.**

**Me: (growls) Ezy... (His name on Wonderland is Ezyjon, so I call him Ezy sometimes lol)**

**Mike: Hmm? Yes baby?**

**Me: EZY...**

**Mike: Baby, I love you soooo much. You too, my beloved **_**WIFE**_**. ;) (refering to SWD. lol, he's being an idiot again. He doesn't really love us :( lol.)**

**SWD: (eyes begin to glow) **_**I SAY WE KILL THIS IDIOT.**_

**Mike: I love you too, dear :)**

**Me: Oh god, he's too much j- (j- is a symbol for sweat drop lol)**

**Mike: You guys know you love me ;)**

**SWD: END THE CHAPTER ALREADY! THIS IS PURE TORTURE!!**

**Me: Read and review please!**

**Mike: KAWAII BOKU WA DESU DORA!**

**Reviewers: ...?**

**SWD: Ignore him! He doesn't know what he's saying! It's a sorry attempt atJapanese!**

**Mike: Melissa-chan no kawaii baka! ;)**

**SWD: Thank you, I am cute, but I'm NOT AN IDIOT!!**

**Mike: ;)**

**Reviewers: ...**

**SWD: Dammit, I said ignore him!!**

**Me: j- Mikey has completely taken over my a/n note...**

**Mikey: ;) Read and review please!**

**Me: OH, so NOW it ends just because HEEEEE says so! (sigh) I give up lol**

**Mike: Yes. Don't resist me ;)**

**SWD/Me: (anime falls, twitches horribly, and sighs) That's Mikey for ya...**


	30. Chapter 30

**Me: Alrighty, I'm back, dear reviewers!**

**Kyo: Great. More bad news for me that'll make me wanna kill a certain someone even more than I already do? **

**Me: Depends**

**Kyo: Man, what do you have against me?**

**Me: Nothing. You're one of my favorite characters.**

**Kyo: SO THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME?**

**Me: Because... The Cat of the Juunishi suffers more in Furuba than any other character, in my opinion. I simply took a few explanations from volume 20 or 21 or 22 and put them in my story. And made it be one of my character's fault. And put it to match my story. The whole thing with God and the Cat really did happen. **

**Kyo: ...**

**Me: I'm just so smart. Either way... The bad things that happen to you... Came straight from the manga. Excluding the crash thing, but Rena-chan doesn't crash you anymore ;)**

**Kyo: ...**

**Me: I promise you, there isn't many more major suffering for you in this story. Unless it's got something to do with Kyoko or Akito or your father or something like that. I THINK.**

**Kyo: Gee, that really cheers me up.**

**Me: Be strong about it Kyo-kun. There will by more happiness than pain and sadness. CUZ U GOT TOHRU-KUN. ;)**

**Kyo: JUST START THE CHAPTER ALREADY.**

**Me: Sure. I own nothing but my characters and this story. And Kyo-kun owns nothing but Tohru-kun's heart ;)**

**Kyo: S-Shut up! Quit teasing me!**

**Me: Teasing, eh? lol Sorry for the delay!**

Chapter Thirty

"Are you ready to continue, Rena?" Shigure asked the light hime, who was clinging on to Ayame at the moment. Rena nodded. "I hope you can forgive me, Kyo, but please, listen a little while longer." Rena whispered.

"Not like I have a choice. That damn snake will hit me again if I don't." Kyo muttered under his breath. "Shortly after the Cat was cursed with its vengeful spirit, all of the Juunishi animals were reborn into the bodies of humans." Rena continued.

"Once they had been reborn as humans, that was when the Sohma Family Curse was at its full effect. They all came together and formed the first Generation of the Sohma Family, Itachi as Head of the Sohma Family. The family soon expanded. Those without the curse joined the family as well, helping the family tree grow and so their would be a way for all to be born again."

"For whatever reason, whenever they hugged someone of the opposite sex outside of their family, they would transform into their zodiac animal. Which made them different from everyone else, and prove of their so-called 'bond'."

"The Juunishi members being reborn onec again and the Sohma Family populating assured Itachi that they would be together forever. And that their special 'bond'... The Chain of Fate that connected and bound them all to the Juunishi God... Would never be broken. The curse was permanent, or so he thought."

"Once again, God had the Cat in confinement, its vengeful spirit growing more and more vengeful. Seeing the mistake she had made by following Itachi's orders and seeing the Juunishi's desire for freedom and to be released of their horrid curse, Inami had to do something.

"Duing the previous years, Inami had indeed devoloped feeling for her God, and her God had a soft spot for her. The both of them were both secretly in love with one another. But no matter how much she loved Itachi... She knew what was right. For both the Juunishi and Itachi."

"First, Inami went into the shrine the Cat was confined in, and freed him (It was said that the following Juunishi God was the one to put th Cat right back into confinement). She slipped the enchanted braclet she had made a year ago around his wrist.

_**"I can never take back the curse I gave the Cat of the Juunishi. However, I am capable of freeing you of this cruel confinement, and helping you control your inner beast." Inami told the Cat of the Juunishi.**_

_**"Listen to me and follow my instructions. Never take this bracket off. Do you hear me? NEVER. Wear it as though it has become one with your wrist. That way... You will not turn into the Vengeful Spirit of the Cat. Your true form."**_

"Next, Inami took a look into the curse. She performed all sort of spells and studies to find a way to reverse it. Any way at all. But just as she had found the answer... Itachi caught on to what her plan was. And the secret to breaking the Sohma Family Curse... Was gone forever."

_**"Inami? Just what do you think you're doing?" Itachi demanded, walking in on Inami in the middle of her research. If Inami was scared of surprised by Itachi walking in on her, she didn't show it. She merely stood up and placed a book in her bookshelf.**_

_**Itachi approaced Inami's desk and looked at the papers and notes scribbled down. Her read them, suddenly becoming angry.**_

_**"What is this, Inami?" he demanded, glaring at her. "It is as it seems." She replied coldly. "A way to break the Sohma Family Curse? Are you trying to... Break my curse?"**_

_**"I am merely trying to take back the curse that I started. I realize... Agreeing to create a world... In which a permanent bond exist... An unchanging world... Was wrong of me."**_

_**"There is no such thing as the permanence you are zelousy hanging on to. It's not real. The bond... The unchanging world... It's not real. It's a delusion of your own mind, Itachi."**_

_**"To force people to go alone with an unchanging world... To force them into a frozen permanence... What gentle cruelness. I am aware that you were afraid of a changing world. It must be scary... To be suddenly thrown into a world full of strangers... And there be no guarantee that you'll be loved."**_

_**"Is that why... You cling onto this ideal of 'an unchanging world'? Everything in the world must go on. Nothing can stay the same forever. All good things... Must come to an end. Just like the bad and sad and scary things as well."**_

_**"Being treated as better than everyone... Instead of their equal... Itachi Kami-sama, that's no different than being left behind."**_

_**"So you must understand... Your permanence... Your 'bond'... Is unnatural. It does not exist. You must face reality. There's no way you can be loved... Without taking the chances of being hated or hurt."**_

_**"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I only feel this way because I'm not part of your 'bond'. I don't belong in your 'world of unchanging feelings'. Either way... I want to break it."**_

_**"I want to break my curse. I want to take it back. Then you'll see, Itachi Kami-sama... You'll be able to see... You're not alone. No one's left you behind. Things will be better for everyone. Both you and the Juunishi."**_

_**"Your 'unchanging feelings' will never exist. Neither will your bond. I'll... Be going now. Moving on... To a world where things do change. I want to take you with me. Into the real world, Itachi Kami-sama. You, and the Juunishi. Stop believing in your nonsense... And come with me to the real world. Open your eyes. The world is changing even as we speak. With... Or without you."**_

_**"Shut up. I've heard enough of YOUR nonsense." Itachi backslapped Inami across her face, making her fall back. **_

_**"Do you think you can talk to me any old kind of way? You have no right! No authority! Who do you think you are?! What do you know anyway?! You're just a stupid 18 year old girl!" Itachi sneered.**_

_**Itachi grabbed Inami by her long raven black hair. "So... You have betrayed me as well, have you? Just like that damn cat? Inami... I never would have thought that you, of all people... Would break an oath you made to me and do such a thing."**_

_**"Why are you betraying me, Inami? Do you hate the way you live? Do you hate being my servant, my slave? Do you hate that I took you in, after your parents literally threw you at my feet? Do you... Hate ME?" Itachi inquired.**_

_**"No! Of course not! Itachi Kami-sama... I want things to be better for you and the Juunishi! I have to do this, Itachi Kami-sama! To prove to you that you won't be alone! And because... I love you." Inami whispered.**_

_**"No... You don't love me at all. You're just saying that, like all of the others." Itachi shook his head. "No, Itachi Kami-sama, I mean it. I do love you. Really." Inami insisted.**_

_**"Would you stop lying already?! You may THINK you love me, but someone like you could never love someone like me! There's no possible way!" Itachi snapped.**_

_**"And if you did love me, Inami, you'd do what would make me happiest!"**_

_**"I am doing what I think will make you happiest. If I get rid of this delusion going on in your mind, then you'll have to realize there's more out there than just this Juunishi! You'll see that this everlasting bond isn't real, and become part of reality! You'll be truly happy! Trust me!" Inami replied.**_

_**"My curse... My everlasting bond... Isn't real? It doesn't exist? Is that so? Allow me to prove you wrong, Inami Subaru Tsujitani." Itachi pulled on Inami's wrist roughly, forcing her into an embrace.**_

_**"What... Are you trying to do?" Inami demanded, a little shocked. "Maybe I should've done this from the beginning. I should've made you too part of our special bond. Then you would've never betrayed me like this. And you'd have been mine." Itachi whispered huskily into her ear**_

_**"I will make you part of our bond. Only... You'll have it 100 times worse than they do. Your bound to me wil be stronger than the 13 of theirs combined. You'll never ger away from me. You'll be mine and mine alone forever." Itachi pressed his lips against Inami's.**_

_**But this wasn't JUST an ordinary kiss.**_

_**It was the Death Kiss of Darkness.**_

_**He was poisoning her with a dark magic.**_

_**And Inami knew that**_

_**But Itachi being the stronger one, there was no way for her to elude it. He only held on tighter and tighter the more she tried to get away.**_

_**An elecrifying sensation tingled through Inami's body, hurting her from the inside out. Slowly, Itachi pulled away from the weak socerres, her power being drained from her.**_

_**"Unfortunately, for the four phases I have decided on for your curse, the Tsujitani curse, a curse born from and intertwining with mine, we both will die. But we will have reincarnations and I will live again. Your consciousness, heart, and soul will be linked to your reincarnation by my marking, once they reach the appropriate age." Itachi told her.**_

_**"You are bound to me, Inami. You are both part of the Juunishi and part of your own curse. You, the Slave of the Juunishi, will be bound to I, the God of the Juunishi, forever. And it is fated that way for every single one of our reincarnations."**_

_**"You cannot escape me. You'll be mine forever. You'll be my servant, my slave, and even more than that... Forever."**_

_**"Inami, you belong to me now, and you'll belong to me forever more. You are my slave. You cannot leave my side. You promised. You made an oath. And I will not allow you to break it." Itachi formed a medium sized dark sphere in his right hand.**_

_**"Itachi Kami-sama, don't - " she was discontinued by Itachi thrusting the sphere into her back. Inami gasp sharply in pain as the sphere sunk into her body, biting down on her tongue until she tasted blood to stop from crying out in pain.**_

_**"Wha... What have you done?" Inami took a shaky breath of air, pain reflecting from it. "It's the second phase of the Tsujitani Curse." Itachi explained.**_

_**"The Angel of Life and the Angel of Death have entered your body. And every time you are reborn, you will have those two within you. They will battle inside of your reincarnation's heart, and if the Angel of Death ever defeats the Angel of Life... Your reincarnation will die, and you will be reborn again into another host."**_

_**"I should have known. You will not only torture me, but every single one of my reincarnations? How low." Inami muttered.**_

_**"I won't make this painless for you or your reincarnations. You will suffer. Just as I have. You will learn your station. AS well will every last one of your reincarnations. The Sohma Family Curse... The Tsujitani Curse... Will be everlasting." Itachi took a step back from Inami.**_

_**"You... Do you have any idea how much pain and suffering the Juunishi's and our reincarnations will go through? Because of this? You... How could you be so heartless?" Inami glared.**_

_**"I can never forgive you for all the people you will hurt. I can ever forgive you... For what you've done to me. I can never forgive you... For all the hatred... anger... dispair... And loneliness will be put upon your "family"." Inami staggered, taking a few step back from Itachi before falling to her knees and and clutching her heart.**_

_**"Augh... I see the curse is in effect already... The Angel of Death you spoke of will kill me here and now, won't it?" Inami said with difficulty.**_

_**Itachi coughed up a mouth full of blood. He wiped it away with his sleeve. "Once the Angel of Death kills you, I will die soon after, and be reborn from my reincarnation, the next head of this family, once he is born. Shouldn't take too long though, because this family will never be Godless for long. After my first reincarnation if born, it'll be easier, because once he dies, he'll have a son who is the next head." Itachi responded.**_

_**"Why are you doing this, Itachi?" Inami demanded weakling. Itachi made his way to Inami, sitting down beside of her.**_

_**"You made me have to hurt you like this, Inami. I won't lose you. I won't let you or the Juunishi leave me. I won't let my World of Permanence be crushed. But I wish... It could've ended differently. If only you hadn't of betrayed me..." Itachi looked at Inami.**_

_**"I was... Hoping for so much more. To be able to spend eternity with you, and my Juunishi. I wanted to... But this is how it must be. This is how... My "permance" will never be come to an end. No one has the right to get rid of it. Not even you, whom I both love and hate deeply." Itachi held Inami again.**_

_**"Itachi - " Inami started, but was stopped by Itachi. "Shhh. You're dying. It'll become easier on you if you just resign yourself to death." Itachi hushed her.**_

_**"Itachi Kami-sama... I wish too... That it didn't have to this way..." Inami said weakly with her last breath before dying and falling limb in Itachi's arms.**_

_**Large black wings shot out of Inami's back and engulfed both Itachi and Inami's body. "Ahhh... The Angel of Death is finally going to take my life..." Itachi thought was the wings closed tighter and tighter around him.**_

_**"Until next time... Goodbye, whom I both love and hate deeply."**_

"And with that, the Angel of Death took their lives. And as promised, they were reborn through the bodies of their reincarnations, the next Heads of the Sohma and Tsujitani families, the Head of the Sohma always being male, and the Head of the Tsujitani always being female." Rena informed.

"Even to this very day. And now that you know that... It's time I discuss something even more important with you. The Tsujitani Curse."

**Me: I apologize again for taking so long to update. And bare with me for a bit longer lol. The explanations will be over soon enough, and then you'll get to hear MOMIJI'S side.**

**Rena: Momiji has a side of the story?**

**Me: Mhm. He's gonna tell Haru. It has something to do with why he's always so nice to you, and why he feels so unbearably guilty.**

**Momiji: ...**

**Rena: What's wrong Momiji-kun?**

**Momiji: Nothing at all! Bunny Scouts never let anything bring them down, right? (salutes)**

**Rena: Right! (grins)**

**Momiji: Yep...**

**Me: Oooh, Momiji sounds a little uncertain. Like something's WRONG. (hugs Momiji) Sorry Momiji-kun. It'll be okay**

**Momiji: (glances at Rena) Sure it will...**

**Rena: Eh? What's wrong?**

**Me: MY LIPS ARE SEALED! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Rena/Momiji: ...**


	31. Chapter 31

**Me: Back. **

**Kyo: Oh joy...**

**Me: So that you guys know, school started again for me August 25th, so updates while be coming along slower and slower :(. So imma try to update as much as I can. School is taking a lot of my time now lol**

**Kyo: Any other bad news?**

**Me: Yes... Well, this is chapter 31, but... I'm currently stuck trying to decide how to go about Chapter 35. That's the chapter Isuzu comes in, and she heats things up a little, so ... I don't have a writer's block, buuuuut.. I don't really know how to go about it (hides) **

**Reviwers: (not pleased)**

**Me: I'm trying, I'm trying! I'm getting there! I promise, imma write more tonight or tomorrow, and figure out how to go about it, so that updates won't be really slow!**

**Reviewers: ... (pleased, they suppose)**

**Me: :D**

**Kyo: (sighs) The idiocy...**

**Me: Ooh, we sound like YUKI now!**

**Kyo: Don't compare me to that damn Yuki! I'm nothing like 'im!**

**Me: lol, just start the chapter**

**Kyo: (mumbles) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story**

Chapter Thirty One

_"A curse that intertwines with another... A curse born from a curse... The Tsujitani Curse... I have always wondered about it..." _Tohru thought.

_"Does Rena-chan transform into something like the Juunishi members do when they hug someone of the opposite sex? Or does something far worse happen? And she did say her curse was more complicated than the Sohmas'..."_

_"How so? What makes up the Tsujitani Curse? We know know it's origin, but we know nothing about it. Nothing yet, at least. This is Rena-chan's moment. She'll explain her curse to us. And anything else that needs to be explained." _Tohru looked at Rena.

_"But why are Rena-chan's eyes so... Cold? And emotionless? This isn't the Rena-chan I know. Something is wrong. Something... Something... But what? Why is she acting this way?"_

_"Does it hurt her? Does having to explain her past make Rena-chan think of painful and unpleasant memories? Like how her carnation cursed the Cat? How her carnation started this curse? Does she feel regret? For things she had nothing to so with?"_

_"She didn't curse Kyo-kun. She didn't curse any of the Sohma Family. And she didn't betray God. Inami-san did. So then why... Why is Rena-chan doing all of the suffering? Why does Rena-chan have to worry about things that happened over 3,000 years before she was even thought of being born?"_

"...So are you gonna say it or what, Tsuji-chan? If you've got something to say, then say it." Arisa propped her chin up on her hand. "Yes, Rena-chan. You should just tell us. We are ready to listen." Hanajima agreed.

"Let's get the rest of this over with." Kyo sighed. Yuki glanced over to Momiji, who was looking down silently at the ground. _Momiji has been so quiet... He hasn't said a single word yet. Not even when Kyo attacked Tsujitani-san." _Yuki thought.

_"Momiji's not the type to be so silent... I wonder... What could possibly be on his mind? Does it have to do with something Tsujitani-san's gonna tell us? Or something so painful that happened that she won't even speak of?" _

"My curse... The Tsujitani Curse... Is more comples than the Sohma Family Curse, as you all know. My curse has four different phases." Rena began.

"The first phase is kinda like a cruel version of the effects of the Sohma Family Curse. Only... Whenever I am hugges or kissed on the lips by someone of the opposite sex outside of the Sohma and Tsujitani Families... That person dies as soon as we stop touching."

"When I was young... I had an accident. A boy from a normal village, one of my friends, had accidentally hugged me, and he... He died. So ever since, my world was limited to the Supreme Kingdom, the Northern Palace, the Southern Palace, the Eastern Palace, the Western Palace, and the Tsujitani Village so that no one would be put in danger."

"That phase of my curse is powerless against the Sohmas and females, so it was okay for Tohru-kun, Hanajima-san, and Uotani-san to be around me."

"The second phase is the Angel of Life and the Angel of Death. I have 5 spirits within my body - my own spirit and soul, Inami-san's, The Great Guardian of Eternal Light Hikari Shiroii-san, The Angel of Death, and the Angel of Life."

"The Angels of Death and Life are always battling inisde of my heart, though I can never feel it, one trying to over power the other. My curse makes my life depend on the strength of the Angel of Life, and how much I can support it."

"If the Angel of Life is defeated by the Angel of Death, then I will die, and my power be handed over directly to the Dark Lord, Itachi kami-sama, and the Guardian of Darkness, Akito-san. He will be able to summon forth all of you guys powers and have the Six Eternal Powers. Along with the Six Eternal Powers and Tohru's Heart, both he and Akito will be able to rule this world, just as they did in the Destined Future."

"However, if the Angel of Life defeats the Angel of Death, then the Dark Lord will finally be defeated, and I will be allowed to live. Even so, that will not help any at all."

"The only way to defeat both the Dark Lord and the Guardian of Darkness for sure and to stop the World's Demise is to demolish all Darkness and destroy both Angels, meaning the puriest of them all must take my life. And the puriest of them all... Is you, Tohru Honda-kun, the Purity Princess."

"M-Me? I have to... To _kill_ you?!" Tohru stuttered. "Only you. Otherwise... Akito and Itachi will gain control and take over the world." Rena nodded.

"But... But I could never do that! I couldn't even kill a fly! Not even if I wanted to! N-No, I wouldn't want to kill a fly! Never!" Tohru panicked.

"She's right. But still, that's kinda irrelevent." Shire sighed. "It's your duty. At the right time, at what should be the final battle, you must kill Rena-chan. Before Akito does. Because if he kills her, he will become invincible."

"But that's not important right now, so don't worry about it, Tohru-kun. Alright?" Ayame stopped Shire, trying to assure Tohru.

"Let Rena-chan continue."

"The third phase of the Tsujitani Curse is my bound to Akito. My bound... Which is stronger than all 13 of the Juunishi's combined..." Rena started up again.

"In the beginning... I knew nothing of the depths of the Tsujitani Curse. In the beginning... All I knew of was the first phase. Heck, I didn't even know of the origins of my own curse."

"Not until... That horrible day 7 years ago from tomorrow night. The 7th Anniversary of the Tsujitani Masscre... On the night of the masscre... That was when I first was put in my place."

"Akito-san came to the village with his army of Akuryous. He murdered everyone. He killed my clan. Their blood split everywhere... I was right there... With Ryo... But I couldn't do anything to stop him! I was too stupid! And weak!"

"Akito has all of the village slaughtered. He led the masscre. And in the end... My Nii-san... Ryo... was killed. He sacrificed himself for me. He... He protected me and was killed. All because I didn't listen to him..."

"At first.. I didn't understand. Why would someone DO what Akito did? I knew he was mean and cruel, but I never thought he'd go this far. What was his purpose? Why? Why... Why _me_? What could he possibly want with me?"

"But... I found out the hard way... That I belonged to him. That it was my fate... To be his slave. And there is proof... That I am merely a piece of property of the Juunishi God's. Inami-san's indelible past was thrown at me so fast, without warning...

**Beginning of Flashback (Seven years ago)**

Rain began falling from the dark sky above. The rain hit the ground soundly, washing away the spilt blood on the ground. Everywhere their were corpses, stacking up like firewood.

Painful screams rung through the air, like a knife's asunder. Bodies dropped to the ground, a puddle of dark blood forming beneath them.

The black gooo creatures, the akuryous, charging at any victim they could find, vigourously slaguhtering every and any moving and breathing thing within the village.

Finally, they had killed everyone. All but two - Twenty year old Ryo Tsujitani and nine year old Rena Tsujitani

"Hayaku, hurry up, Rena! Faster! You've got to get out of here!" Ryo urged Rena to run faster, taking her hand and making sure she didn't stray.

"But Nii-san, the others! We left the whole clan back there! Obaa-san and Oji-san and minna-san (Grandma, Grandpa, and everyone)!" Rena argued.

"Rena, you saw them be killed by those monsters! The others are dead! We're the only one's left! We can come back and dig graves for them later, if we make it outta here! But for now, we have to keep running, or they'll kill us too!" Ryo pulled Rena on, his strength surpassing hers by far.

"No! We have to go back for them, Nii-san! We have to! Someone might still be alive!" Rena whined. "Stop being a pest!" Ryo picked Rena up and carried her in one arm was he continued to run.

The murderous, evil spirits were trailing behind them.

"Ryo, what are those things?!" Rena cried. "It doesn't matter right now! If we make it out alive, I'll tell you then!" Ryo snapped. "We need to get to safety!"

_**SLASH!**_

The blade from an Akuryou's arm slashed across Ryo's back, leaving an open wound. Ryo stumbled across his own feet, tripping and falling, but making sure he didn't hurt Rena at the same time.

"Giver her here, and I just might not make you suffer. Hand her over, and I'll make it quick and easy." A twelve year old Akito Sohma said to Ryo, walking up to him and his sister.

"Akito? What are you doing here? I should've guessed you were behind this! Are these your monsters? You'd better get rid of them! They slaughtered the villagers!" Rena scowled the Dark Prince.

"Grad her." Akito motioned to two Akuryous. The Akuryours each grabbed one of Rena's arms, lifting her up. "Hey! Let me go!" Rena kicked and twisted.

"Akito! Make them let go of my little sister!" Ryo hissed, jumping at the Supreme Prince.

Quickly, an Akuryou raised its blade, thrusting its blade through Ryo's stomach as he tried to grab Akito.

"NII-SAN! RYO!!" Rena screamed, writhing at the iron grips the Akuryous holding her hand on her. The Akuryou pulled irs blade out of Ryo, a think layer of red blood coating it.

Taking a sharp, painful breath of air, Ryo fell to the ground hard."Ryo? Ryo?! Ryo, are you still alive?!" Rena shouted to her brother, struggling with the Akuryous even more.

"Don't think... That they can get rid of me... This easily... Little sis..." Ryo looked up at Rena, grinning. "Let go... Of her... Akito-tono. Let go... Of the Princess!" he tried to stand up.

An Akuryou knocked Ryo back down, sending him flying across the ground. "Hey! Stop it! Yamete! Leave my Onii-chan alone! This is an order from the Supreme Princess, as first in command! Leave him alone!!" Rena ordered the Creatures of the Dark in vain.

"Rena... Princess... Please... Forgive me." Ryo turned over on his back. "I... I haven't told you... Everything. About the Tsujitani Curse. About... Your port. I'm... Sorry. I let you down... Imoutou-san..."

"Kill him. He's a witness and of no use to me." Akito turned his back on Ryo. "No! What are you doing, Akito?! You can't kill Ryo! He's my brother, you idiot!" Rena hissed at the Supreme Prince.

The older youth's hand struck Rena across her face sharply, painfully and silencing her. "You... How dare you strike me? What rights do you have to lay a finger finger upon me?" Rena glared.

"Shut up, wretch. Do you think you can talk to me any old kind of way? Learn your station." Akito sneered. "Follow your orders, my Creature of the Dark."

The Akuryous blade hovered over Ryo's neck.

_"I guess this is punishment. For not being able to protect her. For not being able to prevent this." _Ryo thought, _"Ayame... Hatori... Shigure... Someone... Anyone... Please... Don't let her suffer. Please don't let her... Die."_

Ryo looked up at his horror-struck little sister once more. "I love you, Rena. So please don't cry on my behalf, okay? Imoutou-san... You're much prettier... When you smile. Smile and live for all of us, alright?"

_"_I love you, Imoutou-san. Please do not forget that. Nii-san and Okaa-san and all of the villagers... Love you so much."

The Akuryous blade slashed across Ryo's throat, blood spilling out of him. Ryo's eyes widened as he took one last quick breath of air.

No longer need to restrain her, the Akuryous holding Rena dropped her to the ground. Rena immediantly got up and ran over to her older brother.

"Ryo? Get up! Get up, Ryo! Please! You're gonna be okay! Ryo, please don't do this to me! Don't go! Don't leave me too, Onii-chan!" Rena shook Ryo, tears in her eyes.

"Rena... My darling little sister..." He reached up and caressed her cheek. "Please forgive me... Imoutou-san. I wish you happiness." he smiled weakly before his eyes shut.

"Onii... Onii-chan?! Ryo... Open your eyes! Please Onii-chan! Please... Don't go! Come back!" Rena begged.

The rain continued to washed over them, Ryo's blood draining away. "A... Akito... Why? Why did you have all these people killed? Why did you kill my Onii-chan?" Rena demanded, her eyes still fixed on her brother's dead body.

Akito walked up to Rena, standing over her. She felt weak, and for the first time in her life, she was truly afraid of him. She feared his cruel, ruthless wrath. She feared what he was capable of doing.

A cloud of darkness escaped Akito. An older man, seeming to be about 24 or so, formed from the dark cloud. He looked simliar to an older Akito, with longer short black hair and murky grey eyes.

The man narrowed his eyes at Rena. "...She looks so much like her mother. Even more like Inami, doesn't she, Itachi?" Akito said the the man.

"So this is her... Inami's direct reincarnation..." Itachi trailed off thoughtfully. "W... What? Reincarnation? Who's Inami?" Rena demanded.

"It's about time you figure that out, Rena. It's time you learn your rightful place - A servant at my feet on the ground! You are _nothing_." Akito spat, beginning the long explanation of Inami's Tsujitani's past.

**End of Flashback**

"That began everything. I was offically Akito's slave. I learned that the man with Akito was indeed Itachi Sohma. A year later, I was introduced to Inami. Unlike Inami who must stay harbored in my body, Itachi has the ability to completely seperate himself from Akito, returning him to his original human body. But he cannot stay out for too long, at most a few days, because Akito is his life source, and without him, he will die." Rena explained

"My Master is Akito. We are Inami and Itachi of this time. Well, our time, in over one thousand years. Itachi has the same rights and power over me as Akito does, however, but can make no major decision for me without Akito's approval."

"He made me step down and become 2nd in command, but it didn't change how things were ran too much. Akito also made me promise not to tell anyone anything, otherwise he'd kill you guys as well. So when he or Itachi baet me... When they abused me... When I came home wounded the way I often would... I'd keep quiet for that reason, and wouldn't tell anyone." Rena played with Ayame's long silver hair.

"Especially not you, Ame-nii. I was afraid you'd get mad and do something that would make Akito hurt you, or even worse, kill you. I was scared for you, and the others too. So I quietly took the cruel punishment of being Akito's slave for sevne long years."

"But... When word got out about the Power of Tohru's Heart... He broke his promise, and attacked the kingdom. Uotani-san, Hatsuharu-kun, Momiji-kun, and Hanajima-san tried to protect Tohru-kun and fight... And Kyo-kun, Kagura-chan, and Yuki-kun were battling with everything they had... They were surrounded...They could hardly protect Tohru-kun..."

"It's my fault! I was suppose to be there with them! I wasn't suppose to be battling those Akuryous and get caught up - I was suppose to be at the Northern Palace protecting Tohru! But I... I didn't know! I couldn't have known! And when I finally got there... I was too late! They were all dead!" Rena clutched her fists."

"They died! Because of me! Uotani-san, Hanajima-san, Momiji-kun, and Hatsuharu-kun had been lost in the Darkness! Because they tried to protect Tohru and they didn't have the right combination of power or strength! Only I have that power! And they were horribly outnumbered!"

"If... If I had been there... They wouldn't have died. They are all strong, but... Without me... The Light to cast away the Darkness... Then the Akuryous only multiplied. They were fighting a losing battle from the very beginning."

"I... I failed every last single one of them. Especially Tohru-kun. I'm... I'm sorry. Please forgive me... I'm so weak and pathetic. I always have to screw something up... I shouldn't be allowed to live, after what happened."

"Shut up." Kyo growled. "Shut up Rena. I don't want to listen to anymore of your sorry talk! Crying and complaining won't accomplish a damn thing. So get up off your sorry ass and do something about it. Fix your mistake. Do something to make up for it!"

"We all make mistakes. That's how we learn. Some of us have to screw up once... Before being able to do it right. And you can start learning by getting up and standing on your own two feet like the warrior you've been trained to be!"

"K... yo?" Rena blinked a few times, surprised. "I've had enough of listening to your whining. Actions speak louder than words. And don't think... I'll forgive you that easily." Kyo stood up and walked away, going ot his room.

"Whoa... That was probably the smartest thing I've ever heard Kyo say all day." Arisa blinked. "Okay, we've all had our share of bedtime stories. Get to bed everyone. We can discuss this more in the morning." Hatori clapped his hands together, signaling for everyone to leave.

"Arisa, Saki, the two of you can sleep with Tohru, and Momiji and Hatsuharu, you two can share the guest room, I'll sleep out here tonight."

"Well, actually... I have to get home. And Hanajima has to get those sweets and stuff back to Megumi. So... We'll catch up with you guys tomorrow, okay? See ya Tohru." Arisa waved, heading for the door.

"Yes. Goodbye, Tohru. Wewill see you again tomorrow. Have a pleasant slumber." Hanajima grabbed Megumi's cooler full of foodand walked out of the front dooe with Arisa.

"Goodbye Uo-chan, and Hana-chan!" Tohru waved before turning back to Rena. "Come on, Rena-chan! You heard Hatori-san! Let's get our sleep!" Tohru smiled, taking rena's hand.

"Night Yuki-kun! Night Hatsuharu-kun! Night Momiji-kun! - " Tohru was stopped by Ayame. "Yes, yes, princess, we know that you plan to say good night to Tori, Shii-chan. Gure-nii, and me as well, but do not worry about it. You shouldn't waste your time and breath on something as simple as that. Now shoo-shoo! Go on to bed, my lovely princessess." Ayame shooed Tohru and Rena.

"And Tohru... Take care of Rena for me, okay?" Ayame said with a smile to Tohru, making sure only she could hear him. Tohru nodded, taking Rena upstairs.

"Now... Dearest Yuki..." Ayame turned to Yuki. "Will you ever so kindly allow me to have the great honor of sleeping in your room this fine, fine night?"

"I don't think so, Ayame." Yuki retorted. "I don't care what happened today, I'll never let you into my domain. NEVER."

"You have to be such a joy kill." Ayame pouted. "So, where can I sleep tonight?" Kagura asked. "Actually... We should have one extra room upstairs. Right next to Kyo's." Shigure told Kagura.

"You can spend the night there, Kagura-chan."

"YAY! I get to sleep in a room next to Kyo-kun's! I'm so happy!" Kagura raced upstairs. "This is the biggest mistake of your life that you've made so far. Tonight's gonna be pure hell." Yuki sighed.

--

"KYOOOOOOO-KUUUUUN! Guess what? I'm sleeping in the room beside of yours tonight!! Isn't that just WONDERFUL?!"

"Hell no! Get off of my Kagura! Who let you stay here anyway?!"

"Gure-nii did, of course."

"...SHI... GURE... _REEEEE... I'M GONNA __**MURDER**__ YOU FOR THIS!!"_

"But Kyo-kun... Don't you want to be with me?"

"NO. I DON'T WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND SOUL."

"But kyo-kun... I LOVE YOU! _**MWUHAHAHA!!"**_

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!"

--

"See what I mean? **PURE HELL.**" Yuki shook his head ans walked towards the stairs to get to his room. "Thanks a lot, Shigure."

"You're welcome, Yuki." Shigure smiled. _**"DON'T SPEAK TO ME. IT'LL BE YOUR FAULT IF I DON'T GET SLEEP TONIGHT." **_Yuki glared.

"...I take it he's upset." Hatsuharu said with his ever-so cute blank expression

**Me: Forgive me for the long delay. Been having computer problems, and, AG Eigth Grade classes aren't a joke lol. A lot of work. **

**Kyo: (sneers) So you're gonna let that stop you from updating us as often?**

**Me: Hey, give me a break, I'm trying. My goal is at least one a week, no more than 3, a happy medium two, but it depends if my teachers are nice and DON'T assign me lots of crap XD**

**Kyo: Whatever**

**Me: I'm ready to type the next chapter! It's long lulz. How WONDERFUL...**

**Kyo: Makes up for the lack of updating. Did you lose the writer's block?**

**Me: Yep. 'Cept I have a writer's block in a different place now XD**

**Kyo: I guess you'd better work on that then.**

**Me: Yeah... Read and review please!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Me: Back, my dear reviewers!**

**Kyo: About time: **

**Me: Yeah yeah, well, the chapter's long enough without the A/N notes, so let's just get to the point**

**Kyo: Whatever you say**

**Me: This chapter's mostly about Momiji, so you guys know. A terrible thing from his past. **

**Kyo: I see.**

**Me: Mhm, and just as a warning, some parts are a little cruel, but necessary. This chapter is prolly the longest so far XD. Okay, now, without further a due, Kyo-chan! **

**Kyo: (rolls eyes) ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but Rena and this story**

Chapter Thirty Two

"Hey, Hatori, are you sure you'll be fine here in the living room? I could go sleep in Yuki's room, and Momiji could go sleep with Tohru and Rena." Hatsuharu offered the Dragon of the Juunishi.

Hatori shook his head. "No, that's alright. I'll be fine. I'm not that old."

Minutes later, Momiji came running in with a cooler in his hands. "Here, Hari. These are for you, Aya, Shii-chan, and Gure-nii. Rena-chan and I made them for you." The Rabbit of the Juunishi told Hatori.

"You did? Well thank you, Momiji." Hatori thanked the rabbit. "No problemo! It's a Bunny Scout's duty, y'know!" Momiji's bunny ears popped out of his head as he did the Bunny Society Solute.

"There's chocolate ice cream, chocolate covered onigiri, chocolate chip cookies, kuzumochi, ume kondu, odangoes, and chocolate brownies. There's enough for all four of you to have one bowl of ice cream, one piece of kuzumochi, two brownies, three onigiris, four cookies ,five ume kondus, and six odangoes." Momiji informed.

"Thank you, Momiji. Now you and Haa-kun get to bed. You'll need your rest. I have a feeling the Rena won't be feeling too good in the morning." Hatori told the sixteen year olds.

"...Hari?" Momiji whispered. "Don't push Rena too hard, okay? She's..." Momiji trailed off, shaking his head. "C'mon Haru! I'll race ya to the guest room!" Momiji ran out of the kitchen.

"Stop running, Momiji. You'll fall and break something." Hatsuharu warned. Hatori stared at the spot where the two Juunishi members had been standing for a few moments before grabbing the cooler and leaving the kitchen as well, walking into the living room.

"So, youdone speaking with Haru and Momitchi?" Shire asked Hatori. "Yeah..." Hatori sat down with the three other men, setting the cooler down.

"What's that?" Ayame asked curiously. "Treats. Rena and Momiji made them. One bowl of ice cream, one piece of kuzumochi, two brownies, three rice balls, four cookies, five ume kondu, and six odangoes each." Hatori answered.

"That was very thoughtful of them." Shigure rubbed his chin. "You know, Hari... That's probably the most we'll ever get out of Rena." Shigure glanced at the Dragon of the Juunishi.

"What do you mean?" Hatori inquired. "Oh come now. We all know what's bothering you. Rena's just having a hard time telling us everything. But she did tell us a good bit. And now we know... Akito and his carnation are responsible for everything." Shire replied.

"So... Do you think she has any more Dark Secrets? Shigure asked. "Of course. Everyone harbors dark secrets and some of them... Well... Some of them will and should never be brought into the light. Even princesses have the right to keep certain things to themselves." Shire responded.

"Hey, Tori, you never said there were milkshakes in here!" Ayame exclaimed, pulling out a strawberry milkshake and slurping it down. "Stop snooping through the food, will you Ayame?" Hatori sighed.

"You've been quite eager to change the subject, Aya." Shigure sweat dropped. "Chocolate is MINE!" Shire lunged, stealing away two milkshakes and handing one of them to Shigure.

"Sorry Tori, but there's only vanilla left. I guess that'll be yours." Ayame handed Hatori a vanilla milkshake. "That's fine. I like vanilla." Hatori took the milkshake.

_"But still... I wonder about... The scar on Rena's back... How did she get such a strange symbol on her back?" _Hatori pondered, taking a sip of his beverage.

_"I wonder..." _

--

"You should get in your pajamas for bed, Rena-chan." Tohru advised the light hime. "Uh... Yeah, okay." Rena reached into her drawer only to find a very short and think pink night gown with red hearts and clouds on it.

"Another gift from Shigure?" Rena sighed. _"It's bad enough that he redid our room and made it look this girly, but now, he gives us matching PAJAMAS to go with the room?" _Rena thought.

_"At least he gave Tohru a long sleeve shirt and pants. Kyo and Yuki would've probably gotten mad if they knew Shigure gave Tohru something like this to wear, being the pervert he is."_

"Kawaii! These pajamas are so cute!" Tohru adored her pajamas, which as well matched with the room. "You should put yours on, Rena-chan!"

"No way." Rena folded her arms.

"Come on, it would look really good on you!" Tohru reasoned. "Please, Rena-chan?"

"... I'll kill Shigure Somme if it's the last thing I do." Rena muttered, stripping herself of her clothing and replacing them with the night gown.

"You forgot the matching bra and panties, Rena-chan!" Tohru held up the under wearing items. "Shigure's truly a pervert if he went that far." Rena glared at the intimate items.

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna go that far Tohru."

"Oh well. You still look so cute!" Tohru smiled. Tohru looked into Rena's eyes. "What is it, Tohru?" Rena asked. _"Rena-chan... Those eyes... Those cold, stoic, and unfamiliar eyes... The Eyes of a Stranger... They're gone." _Tohru thought with relief.

_"Your nice, warm, kind, loving black eyes are back. Whoever's eye those were... Those other eyes... They weren't yours, Rena-chan. They don't become you. And I'm glad for that."_

"Tohru? What are you staring at?" Rena demanded. "You have beautiful eyes, Rena-chan…" Tohru smiled, surprising Rena. "My... Eyes?" Rena whispered.

"Yes. You have beautiful kind eyes. And I'm glad those other ones are gone. The ones that made me feel so... Awkward." Tohru told Rena.

"Tohru... After everything I told you... After everything I've done... Why? Why are you still so nice to me? Why don't you and Yuki and the others hate me? Like Kyo does?" Rena inquired.

Tohru stepped forward to give Rena a hug. "Because, Rena-chan... From what I've heard... The very last thing you need is hatred. You shouldn't be hated for something that you couldn't control, something you couldn't stop. You need tender, loving hands to hold you. You need to find happiness. And I'll help you, Rena-chan. I'll help you smile again. So that you don't have to be alone in your heart anymore. So that we can smile together. For the very first time." Tohru promised.

Rena's eyes widened _"H... How did she know? How could she tell?" _Rena mused. _"...Thank you, Tohru. I don't mean to be so weak. But if you'll let me... Please... Can I borrow some of your strength?"_

"Thanks, Tohru." Rena hugged Tohru before the two girls let go of each other. "Oyasuminasi, Tohru-kun." Rena whispered to Tohru as she climbed into her bed.

Tohru pulled back her blankets and got into her bed. "Oyasuminasi, Rena-chan. Have a pleasant dream tonight."

--

"So, Haru, are you ready for bed?" Momiji asked while hopping around after getting into his light blue pajamas with thin vertical white stripes.

"It doesn't matter as long as you're bouncing around, on one will be able to sleep." Hatsuharu replied. "Oooops! Sorry Haru! But I'm just so anxious, I can't sleep!" Momiji laughed.

"Perhaps if we lie down and talk, you'll eventually fall asleep." Hatsuharu suggested. "Problem is... There's only one bed, and I don't really like sharing... Oh well. Just this once, we can share the bed. Only tonight, though."

"Do you want to do that?"

"Um-hm! I'll turn the lights off!" Momiji jumped up and flipped the light switch off and closed the door. "I call the left side of the bed!" Momiji dashed back to the bed, getting under the left side.

"Whatever." Hatsuharu shrugged, taking his shoes, shirt, and jewelry off before climbing into bed as well. "Huh? Haru, you didn't bring any pajamas?" Momiji gasped.

"...No... I didn't exactly plan to stay over for the night." Hatsuharu responded. "I did! But I wanted to sleep with Tohru and Rena though..."

"Interesting... I wonder what kind of pajamas _they're_ wearing tonight..." Hatsuharu trailed off **(Like Haru said in volume 10, it's just the natural reaction of ****any**** normal young man - You're hardly a "normal young man, Haru! - lol)**

"I know Haru, since you didn't bring your own, you can borrow _mine_!" Momiji suggested. "I don't think they'd fit me, Momiji." Hatsuharu pointed out. "Do you have anything particular to talk about? Other than pajamas?"

Momiji laid down and pulled the blankets over him, smiling sadly to himself. "Actually... Haru, I do have something important to ask you. I should get to the point already, shouldn't I?"

"Haru... What I wanted to ask you... Was... Why do you think Rena only told us what she did?"

"Hn? What do you mean?" Hatsuharu turned to look at the Rabbit. "I mean... Why... Why did Rena talk about the curse the way she did? Why didn't she explain things more? Why did she make everything sound like it was her fault? Why did she take the blame? And... Why didn't she mention the symbol that was beat onto her back?"

Hatsuharu's eyes snapped open. "M... Momiji... How did you know it was _beaten_ onto her back? How did you...?"

Momiji sat up, pushing the blankets off of him. "Rena-chan... Doesn't know. That… You're not the only one who saw."

"I… I almost wish I hasn't of seen it. I didn't want to hear it. But it was so loud. And I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I could only watch them. I'm… So ashamed."

"He… They… Were cruel. They were merciless. Akito and Itachi… How could they DO that to her? She… She never deserved it! So how could they live with themselves? How could they do it? Have they no conscience?"

"Ah, I remember it clearly. It was the first anniversary of the Tsujitani Curse, one year after the massacre, at sunset. I had gone to Akito's palace in the 

Supreme Kingdom, because I had checked all over for Rena-chan, but couldn't find her anywhere else, so I wanted to know if Akito knew where she was."

"It… It crossed my mind that I shouldn't have gone in… But I wondered into the palace anyway. I didn't know… So when I walked out into the backyard… And I saw a round platform in the middle of the large yard with a pentagon carved into the wood of the platform…"

"There they were, committing their ruthless deed. They _tortured_ Rena-chan. No, they did _worse_ than that. I hid behind the bushes, so that they couldn't see me. But… I couldn't block out Rena's screams."

"Her innocent blood was everywhere. The whip rained down on her ruthlessly, and he didn't stop no matter how much she screamed. They _enjoyed _seeing her suffer."

"I wanted to help, but… I was trembling all over. I started to cry like a baby. But Rena-chan… Oh Rena-chan… She's the closest thing to a sibling I've ever been allowed to have… She was my little sister."

"I wanted to protect my little sister, Rena-chan… But… I was too weak. I wished I was strong like you was, Haru. You at least tried to stop them. And because I let them hurt my imotou-san… I feel so guilty."

"I feel like it's my fault. Because I couldn't protect her… Rena-chan… She was only a little girl! And I was only a little boy! It… It wasn't fair! It just wasn't!"

**Beginning of Flashback (6 years ago)**

"Hari, Aya, Shii-chan, do any of you know where Rena-chan is?" Momiji asked the Mabudachi Trio.

"Actually, Momiji, we don't know where Rena went. She disappeared somewhere a few hours ago. She probably needed some alone time. After all… You know what today is for her."

"Oh… Okay… It's just that I've been looking for her all day because I really wanted to give her something, but I haven't been able to find her at all." Momiji sighed.

"Why don't you try Akito's palace? Since you can't find her anywhere else, maybe Akito needed her for something important?" Ayame suggested.

"That's a great idea, Aya! Thanks!" Momiji tanked the Snake, turning to leave.

"Momiji?" Hatori called to the preteen, stopping him. "Huh? What is it, Hari?" Momiji turned back to look at the Dragon.

"If you see Rena, tell her to get back here fast. Dinner's in a little bit. Her favorite dish." Hatori left the room.

"Sure Hari! I'll tell her! You can count on me!" Momiji assured the young man before running off, forgetting to close the door behind him.

"That Momiji… He sure is full of energy." Ayame sighed with a smile, closing the front door. "I wonder why Tori's been so quiet today… He usually would've been snapping at us for something…"

"It's because he's worried about Rena-chan, but he just doesn't want to show it! He's being _shy_!" Shigure taunted.

Suddenly, a black shoe was thrown hard at the back of Shigure's head, knocking the Dog of the Juunishi down.

"Shut up Shigure." Hatori appeared in the room. "It's not that."

"Awww, Hatori, you don't have to be in denial! We know you're worried about Na-chan, so you don't have to hide it!" Ayame assured that it was fine to be worried about their goddaughter.

"Ayame, I have two feet, which means I have two shoes on them. Shigure just got a taste of a size 11 being thrown at his head; do _you_ want to get hit too?" Hatori threatened.

"…Okay, okay. You're not in denial. But you still miss Na-chan."

_**CLONK**_

"OWWW! Tori, you're so cruel!"

"I do try."

--

Upon his arrival at Akito's Palace, Momiji looked up at the orange and pink sky.

"_The sun's already beginning to set, and I still haven't seen Rena… I wonder if she can see the sunset from where she is…" _Momiji thought.

The rabbit walked up to the palace's gate and entered the password into the small box residing next to the gate, the gates opening for him. He walked up to the palace's door.

"Huh? The door's open…" Momiji noticed that instead of being bolted shut like it usually was, the door was slightly open.

Taking advantage of this, Momiji shrugged his conscience away and opened the door, poking his head into the palace to look around.

"Hello? Is anyone home? Helllllloooooo? Akito-san? Rena-chan? Anyone here?" Momiji called, walking in and closing the door behind him.

As the young rabbit of the Juunishi wandered through the dark and eerie palace, he realized that no one was there.

"_That's strange… Why is it so dark in here?" _Momiji wondered, still wandering through the dark palace.

Eventually, after stumbling and falling through for awhile, Momiji came across a door that led outside.

"Hey, it's the backyard. And the sun still hasn't set yet." Momiji said to himself, grateful to see the bright orange and pink sky after being in complete darkness for so long, his eyes adjusting.

"No… Please… Stop… Please… Stop it!!"

Momiji's head turned to look straight head. _"That was Rena-chan's voice…"_ Momiji realized.

Many yards away, Momiji could see a large round wooden platform with a pentagram carved into it.

And on it were Akito, Rena, and a mysterious man that Momiji did not know to be Itachi Sohma.

"_Rena-chan? What are they doing over there?" _Momiji wondered. Unfortunately, while trying to stay silent, the rabbit stepped on a twig, its snap ringing and echoing through the air.

**(A lame way to get caught, eh? Lol)**

"Hn? Is someone there?" Itachi turned to look back at where Momiji was standing.

Now for the good news

Being a very fast and 'energetic' young bunny, Momiji was able to sprint and hide behind a nearby bush before Itachi was able to see him.

Reluctantly, Itachi turned back to Rena and Akito.

"Akito kami-sama, please, no… I don't want to… Please!" Rena begged the current Juunishi God.

"It's time. Now, it's _past_ time. The Symbol of Collision belongs on your body." Itachi replied.

"The Symbol of Collision?" Both Rena and Momiji repeated inwardly. "On… On my body? W… What do you mean?" Rena asked.

Akito ripped off the upper articles of clothing off of Rena's preteen body and forced her down onto her knees.

He knelt down in front of the ten year old, kept her in her position, and held on to her wrist.

"Itachi's gonna lash it onto your back." Akito finally answered.

"Lash?! Into my back?! With what?!" Rena demanded. Itachi picked up the strange whip beside of him.

"This is the tool created to be used on the direct reincarnation of Inami Tsujitani. It's a magical flexible rod, looking much like a strange whip. It will cut into your skin and flesh, easily allowing me to engrave the Symbol of Collision into your back." Itachi examined the whip.

"W… With that thing?" Rena stammered.

"Yeah, so you'd better not move around too much. If he doesn't get it right the first time, then we'll just have to heal the wounds and do it again until we get it right." Akito smirked.

"And if you try to run away or struggle too much… Then remember… Tohru, Ayame, and the others lives are on the line."

Rena looked up at the thirteen year old with mortified eyes, unable to even utter a single vowel.

"Let's get this over with." Itachi sighed, standing a few feet behind Rena. "Akito, keep her still. I don't want to accidentally hit her in the wrong place or hit you."

"I'll make sure she doesn't move around too much." Akito held Rena by her arms.

"Dark Shackles."

Binds made of negative energy shackled Rena's hands together and the dark pressure prevented her from moving any.

Rena hung her head, realizing there was no way to elude this, trying to hide her already watering eyes from Akito.

"_Are… Are they really about to do that to Rena-chan?" _Momiji's eyes widened. _"Why would they want to hurt her? Why would they __**want**__ to do such a thing? What did Rena-chan ever do to them?"_

Itachi raised the whip over his head, bringing it down hard on Rena's back, the first of many hard blows.

Rena yelped in pain, jerking at the sharp impact that left a long cut on her back.

"_No. I won't cry this time… I won't give in, no matter what they do to me. I… I won't!" _Rena thought determinedly, blinking away upcoming tears.

Again and again the whip ruthlessly rained down on Rena's defenseless and bare back from different angles, causing Rena to yelp in pain with every hit and long cuts to be left on her back.

_**THWHACK!**_

"AH!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"AAAAHHHH!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"Please stop!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"Itachi Kami-sama!!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"STOP!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"PLEASE!!"

Almost as though her voice could not reach him, Itachi continued his steady pattern of striking Rena's back, forming the designs of the symbol intended to engrave onto her back.

The long cuts on Rena's back were seeping blood, her blood soon covering her back and the whip both.

It has only been a few minutes, but to Momiji, it felt like he had been mercilessly assaulting Rena's back for hours. Her screams steadily got louder and louder with each hit, the whip causing her to lose more and more blood.

"_I… I can't watch this anymore… I… I just can't!" _Momiji shut his eyes and covered his ears, trying to block out Rena's screams of agony.

"_Rena-chan! I… I want to stop them, but… I… I can't move. I'm paralyzed. I can't move, yet I can't stop trembling and crying. I can't… Stand on my own two feet. I can't… Do anything!"_

_**THWHACK!**_

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"S-Stop! I can't take this anymore!"

_**THWHACK!**_

"No more! Stop! Please stop!

_**THWHACK!**_

"ITACHI KAMI-SAMA, PLEASE! STOP!"

"_Why won't he stop hitting her?! She's bleeding! She'll die! Stop it! Leave Rena-chan alone! Please! Leave her alone! Please, leave my sister alone!" _Momiji begged mentally.

"You're still not crying like you usually do yet, Rena?" Akito taunted the young light hime. "Let's see how much more you can take. Will you make it through? Or will you drop dead?"

Rena looked up at Akito, her eyes clearly holding mixed emotions for him – Pain, Hatred, Fear, and Despair.

Momiji squeezed his ears, trying to drown out the screams and voices. "Akito-san, stop it. Please stop. Don't... Don't let Rena-chan die. Please… Don't let my little sister die." Momiji managed to whisper, shuddering at the thought of having to see his little sister dead and surrounded in a puddle of her own innocent blood.

All because he was too much of a coward to move

"I'll trade places with her. I'd rather take that pain for her than for her to have to take it. I love Rena. But I… I just can't get my cowardly bones to move. Please. Don't take her away from me. Not like you took Mama and Papa and Momo too. Please… Not the only sister I've been allowed to have!"

Rena bit her lip hard until she taste blood, hoping that would help focus her mind on other pain than just her back.

Unfortunately, biting into flesh didn't hurt anywhere near as much as the whip did.

"_Is it okay to cry? To give in to it? Do I have that right still? Maybe if close my eyes… And think of s happy thought while I cry… I won't feel as weak. I won't feel as pathetic." _Rena thought, trying to ignore the exquisite pain.

"_Maybe if I try to drown out the pain… With a happy thought… Picture someone… Whose smile, whose gentleness would make it easier… Someone who is very important to me… Then maybe it won't hurt as much."_

"You still alive, Tsujitani? Interesting. This is starting to be more and more fun." Akito tightened his grip on Rena's arms, digging his nails into her skin and making her bleed.

"_But what could I possibly think about? What could fill my heart up with so much rapture that the pain would go away? Is such a thing even possible? Could a feeling like that, so strong… Be real?" _Rena wondered.

Tears ran down Rena's face as she continued the steady pattern of screaming, moments away from flat out bawling without trying to muffle it.

"Just a little more, and I'll be done. Too bad. This was somewhat amusing." Itachi said stoically, beginning to hit twice as hard, outlining the designs he's already made.

Instinctively, Rena fell into Akito's chest and clutched onto his shoulder for support, unable to hold herself up on her knees against the 2nd Juunishi God's increasing and merciless strength.

"My, my, Rena. You're not bawling yet? You seem to be able to take a whipping better from Itachi than from me, despite the fact his strength surpasses mine. 

But how can Itachi be satisfied when he beats you like this… If you never look at him with the same frightened, pitiful, and pathetic black eyes you look at me with?" Akito sneered.

Rena's eyes widened. _"I've found it. I've found the feeling… A feeling that could drown out the pain." _Rena realized.

"_But… This feeling… Is a scary feeling. This feeling is far worse than any beating Itachi Kami-sama could give me. Because… Those feelings are despair, sadness, anger, hatred, terror, weakness, spite, loneliness, and fear. These scary feelings… Are my feelings for Akito-sama."_

More and more blood trickled down Rena's back. Soon, her cries of agony began to die down, because she was beginning to lose her voice.

"Are you about done yet, Itachi? Her disgusting blood's starting to get on me." Akito told the Dark Lord.

"Almost finished. Just a little bit longer. Eleven more should do the job." Itachi replied, raising the whip again.

"_Eleven more? Only eleven? I think I can take that much… Can't I?" _Rena thought, grimacing in pain as the first of the eleven final blows came down on her

_**THWHACK!**_

"_My body is limp. It hurts… To move. It hurts… To breathe. It hurts… To be alive. Maybe I should just die. I deserve to die. I'm so insignificant, unnecessary. Akito-sama said so himself."_

_**THWHACK!**_

"_Maybe that's why they kept me in that little dark room. Maybe that's why they hit me so much. I'm a slave. An insignificant, unnecessary, and replaceable slave. If I were to die… It wouldn't make a difference. Another girl would be born, and she would be a reincarnation of Inami as well, even if not a direct one."_

_**THWHACK!**_

"_I'm just a nuisance. I should be grateful that I'm even alive. It's all my fault everyone suffers. Because of me… Because I placed the Sohma family under a curse thousands of years ago in a past life."_

_**THWHACK!**_

"_Someone as rotten as me shouldn't be allowed to live. And yet… I __**want**__ to live. I __**want**__ to be with the Sohmas. I __**want **__to be with Tohru-kun, and Hanajima-san, and Uotani-san too, because…"_

_**THWHACK!**_

"_I love them!"_

"_He said eleven… So he'll only hit Rena six more time." _Momiji thought. _"Is she… Still alive? She's not making much sound anymore. Does that mean… He beat her to death? And if Rena-chan isn't dead yet… Can she take six more? Of will her body break first?"_

_**THWHACK!**_

"_I… I still can't move any. I'm too scared. I'm afraid to see… I don't want to see… I just want Rena-chan to be okay! Can't they show her any mercy? Aren't they human? How could their conscience let them DO this?"_

_**THWHACK!**_

"_Akito-san… Why are you just sitting there?! You've got to stop this! Please! She's dying! You can let her die! Please! You can't!"_

_**THWHACK!**_

Rena cringed in pain as the rough leather whipped across her back. "You don't look so well, Rena. You think you can hang in there for three more hits? Or are you just gonna let yourself die?" Akito inquired.

"If you die, you'll only be replaced. Another child would be born to take your place. I'd get a new tool. A new toy. No one can save you from this. You must pay for Inami's sins with your own life and blood."

_**THWHACK!**_

Rena grimaced again, her tears renewed. _"You're right. No one can save me. It's the curse that prevents them. I can't get away. My own curse stops me. And if my death now would only make another person take my pain… Then I need to hang in… But… How?..."_ Rena trailed off.

"_Come on, Imoutou-san! Don't slow down! Here, take my hand, we can run together! Let's play!"_

"_What…"_

"_Let's go to our secret hiding place, where no one will find us, and we can play together there! How does that sound? Doesn't it found like so much fun? We can watch the waterfall and the sunset together! There might even be a rainbow!"_

"_Momiji-kun…"_

"_I'm you're big brother, Imoutou-san! You can always count on me for help, that you can, Rena-chan!"_

_**THWHACK!**_

"MOMIJI ONII-CHAN! BIG BROTHER! PLEASE! HELP ME!!" Rena screamed.

"_Please, Momiji-kun. Where ever you are… Help me. I want to play with you when this is over. I want to see you smile. So I need your help. At least… Yours…" _Rena thought.

Momiji's eyes widened. _"Wha… What? She's… She's calling me? But… Why? She couldn't have seen me. She couldn't have. So then… Why me? I… I'm sorry Rena-chan, but… I just can't help you. I'm… Not strong enough. Forgive me, Imoutou-san!" _Momiji thought, crying harder.

"_Why won't I MOVE? Rena's protected me so many times before! So then… Why can't I protect HER! WHY? Oh please… Someone… Anyone… Please… Protect her! Someone protect Rena! Someone! Protect her!!"_

Itachi raised the whip for the final hit. Just as he was about to swing it down, a blade hovered through the air, chopping through the whip, and come back like a boomerang.

"I don't think so. You're not gonna hurt Rena-hime anymore."

"_I… I know that voice… Could it be… Is… Haru here?"_ Momiji wondered. Itachi turned to see the demon slaying Ox of the Juunishi.

"Who are you? You are the one that possess the Spirit of the Ox, are you not?" Itachi inquired.

"I'm also you're worst nightmare." Hatsuharu held out his Naginata of Densetsu.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Itachi asked. "You started one the moment you hit Rena-hime. Who the hell are you anyway? What makes you think you can just beat the Supreme Princess like that?" Hatsuharu demanded.

"My name is Itachi Sohma. You may or may not know me as the 2nd Juunishi God." Itachi answered.

"And you… You, are going to die."

"Hatsu… Haru… Kun…?" Rena looked up weakly. "Stop moving around, Rena. You're making the bleeding worst." Hatsuharu warned.

"Hatsuharu. What a pleasant surprise. Tell me. How much did you see?" Akito asked with a grin.

"Enough to make we want to kill you!" Hatsu raised his Naginata, beginning to charge at the Juunishi God.

Itachi grabbed Hatsuharu by his shoulder and threw him back. "Your opponent is me!" Itachi told the boy. "Akito. You know what to do."

"_Hatsu… How did he… Why did he… Come?"_ Rena wondered before all of her energy left her body and she fainted, losing consciousness.

Akito picked up the unconscious preteen and began to walk towards the palace with his in his arms.

"Hey! Akito! Where do you think you're going?" Hatsuharu yelled at the thirteen year old.

"Pay attention!" Itachi punched Hatsuharu across his face, sending him flying. Without noticing the young rabbit hiding behind the bushes, Akito walked into the palace.

"_I have to stop him from doing whatever he plans to do."_ Momiji decided_. "I have to be strong. There's no reason for me to be scared anymore, there's no reason for me to be scared anymore."_ Momiji chanted to himself.

After chanting this to himself about 5 times, he was interrupted by hearing a hiss of pain coming from inside the palace followed by glass shattering.

"Rena?" Momiji managed to get on his feet and run nimbly into the palace and hide in the shadows.

"Stupid girl." Akito muttered under his breath, grabbing another glass bottle full of rubbing alcohol.

"This time, I won't let you break it." Akito held the unconscious girl's hands together as he poured the bottle of rubbing alcohol onto Rena's back.

The unconscious light hime hissed in pain as the rubbing alcohol was poured onto her back, her back feeling as though it had been set on fire while the disinfectant liquid seeped into her cuts.

"Ah. I can already tell that Itachi did an excellent job engraving the Symbol of Collision onto your back." Akito picked up a nearby towel and wiped Rena's back down after letting the alcohol sit.

After all the blood and remaining alcohol was wiped away, out lined of a symbol were left. "Excellent. Now I can begin." Akito grinned.

"_W… What is he going to do to her?"_ Momiji pondered.

--

Itachi dodged the Ox's Naginata blade and threw a punch at him. Hatsuharu jumped back and swing the Naginata before Itachi had the chance to react and pull back, cutting him across cheek.

"So you've finally been able to put a scratch on me." Itachi rubbed his cheek. "Next time, it'll be your neck that's cut open!" Hatsuharu retorted.

"Why are you doing what you're doing to Rena?"

"Rena is the direct reincarnation of a woman named Inami Tsujitani. There for, she is the one that must bear the Symbol of Collision!" Itachi held his hand out, a long black lance appearing in his hand.

"Rena is the head of the family. She takes the full blown Tsujitani Curse, which consist of the Symbol of Collision as well." Itachi swung his lance at the Ox.

Hatsuharu ducked, the blade from the lance slicing a few strands of his short white hair off.

"So you're saying that Rena's bound to Akito through her curse?" Hatsuharu inquired.

"She's more than bound. She's stuck to him. The shackles and chains binding her to Akito are thirteen times stronger than any individual Juunishi member's chains bounding them to Akito. She can't escape him. Her curse is permanent!" Itachi charged at Hatsuharu.

The two clashed blades them each trying to overpower one another. "You're unusually strong for your age. I think you're probably even stronger than I, a grown man." Itachi told Hatsuharu while they tried to overpower one another.

"Do you want to know what we do to Rena? Do you want to see the nice little room we made for her? Do you want the truth about her? Or would you prefer to see… Yuki's?" Itachi taunted.

Hatsuharu's eyes became dark grey, them filling with hatred and rage. "Shut up! You leave Rena and Yuki alone!!" Hatsuharu sliced Itachi's shoulder open.

"You shouldn't be so mad about what I do to them. You should be worried about what _AKITO _does to them." Itachi shrugged.

--

Akito held Rena in his arms and placed his right hand firmly on the center of her back. A black and purple light surrounded his right hand.

"I, Akito Sohma, The current Juunishi God, place my bind, The Symbol of Collision, on Rena Tsujitani, the direct reincarnation of Inami Tsujitani and my slave for eternity! Enable Phase 2, 3, and 4 of the Tsujitani Curse!" Akito shouted.

The cuts on Rena's back let up. Soon, a symbol was revealed. A black outline of a circle outlined thickly in black with a black star in the center of it, a white line going straight down the middle of the star, and a large white angel wings sticking out of each side of the star, overlapping parts of the circle.

"_So that's what that man was engraving into Rena's back! A weird looking symbol!"_ Momiji thought.

The dark purple and black light surrounding Akito's hand seeped into the symbol. As the dark light sunk into the symbol on Rena's back, was forced out of a state of unconsciousness, beginning to scream.

"What's happening to me?!" Rena inquired through her scream. Another female voice began screaming inside of Rena's head, the older girls scream ringing in her ears.

"Stop it!" Rena screamed louder and higher as clutched her ears, her eyes flashing back and forth between black and white.

"Rena!" Momiji leaped out of the shadows and lunged for Rena and grabbed her as he fell, pushing Akito away and separating the two.

"Rena? Rena-chan? Rena, can you hear me? Are you alright?!" Momiji asked with worry. _"She's unconscious again…" _Momiji realized.

"_As soon as Akito's lit hand stopped touching her, she was unconscious again. He was forcing her into a state of consciousness with his dark light!"_

"_So then… If that's true… Then there's hope that Rena-chan didn't see me. And that… She'll be okay."_

--

"Shut up! Who the hell do you think you are anyway?!" Hatsuharu barked, attacking Itachi again, swinging his blade at him again and again and again without stop.

"Why are you s angry anyway? She's the one who made you like this. She made all of you like this. It's her fault. Your curse… Your suffering… Your fear… Is all her fault." Itachi ran backwards, dodging Hatsuharu's bade when it came his way.

"Shut up! You're a liar! LIAR! Don't talk about Rena! Nothing's her fault! She didn't do anything!!" Hatsuharu snapped.

Itachi grabbed Hatsuharu's Naginata and did an upper cut, punching Hatsuharu in his jaw.

Hatsuharu staggered back from the strong blow to his jaw. Itachi threw Hatsuharu's Naginata beside him.

"Don't believe me. I do not care. It's your choice. But you shouldn't worry about me so much. You should worry more about your Juunishi God, Akito." Itachi looked down at the Ox

"It was amusing battling with you. I look forward to battling a much stronger you. When the time comes." Itachi vanished.

Hatsuharu rubbed his jaw. He glanced at his Naginata for a moment before looking away and cursing silently under his breath.

--

"It's no use. Taking Rena away won't do any good. It's already been done. Phases 2, 3, and 4 are complete." Akito stood up.

"Momiji."

Momiji turned to see Akito walking towards him. Momiji held his arms out and kept the unconscious Guardian of Light behind him, as if to stop Akito from getting any closer.

"Stop, Akito-san! I won't let you hurt Rena-chan anymore than you already have!" Momiji said bravely, refusing to move an inch.

"You've already caused her great pain! Ayame and Hatori and Shigure need her back home! You can't torture her anymore! She's done nothing wrong to y…"

Akito punched Momiji across his face, knocking the young rabbit down. "Shut up. How dare you talk to me like that? How dare you stand in my way? How dare you?! I am your _God!_ You listen to me! You do as I say!" Akito sneered.

"You're just a weak, stupid little boy. Now, that's being too nice. You don't even _look_ like a boy. You're so girly. A pathetic, weak, and idiotic tom-girl fur-ball! That's what you are!"

Akito grabbed Momiji by the collar of his shirt. "You're so stupid. Don't think that I won't hesitate to kill you. You are _nothing_ to me. You're just here to make the numbers even. So don't think otherwise of it. Got it?!"

"Akito! Leave Momiji alone." Hatsuharu walked in. "Leave him alone. Or else… I'll kill you here and now for what you've done!" Hatsuharu held the blade of his Naginata up to Akito's throat.

"And _you_ know _I_ won't hesitate."

Akito opened his mouth to make a smart remark, but was interrupted by hearing Itachi's voice in his head.

_**Akito, forget about it. Just let them go. We have what we want. We don't need her here right now any longer.**_

"…There's no need for you to get so violent, Hatsuharu. I'll leave. But I'll be back, seeing this is MY palace. Get out immediately." Akito pushed Hatsuharu's blade away, evaporating into a mist of darkness and vanishing.

"…You alright, Momiji? How did you get in here anyway? Did you just get here or something?" Hatsuharu asked. "…Yes. I was looking for Rena-chan." Momiji fibbed.

"R…Rena's hurt, isn't she?" Momiji crawled over to the Princess of Light. "R… Rena… I'm… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… If only I had been hurried and got her faster… And stopped it… You wouldn't be… In so much pain/" Momiji pulled the unconscious preteen to him and hugged her.

Hatsuharu stood watching Momiji, his arms crossed, holding Rena's upper particles of clothing **(he had been kind enough to pick them up)**

"_This is all my fault. I'm so sorry. Please, Rena-chan. Please forgive me. Please."_

**End of a very long Flashback (Finally! Can you BELIEVE I was actually gonna add MORE? Lulz)**

"So you really were there… I mean, you really did see it. You saw even more than I did. Is that what's bothering you so much?" Hatsuharu asked.

"She… She called for me. She begged for me to help her. And I couldn't. I was so afraid… I couldn't even move. I… I couldn't protect her!" Momiji turned away from Hatsuharu.

"Listen, Momiji. It's not easy to protect someone. Especially as a little kid. Against Itachi and Akito, no matter how you looked at it, they probably would've caught you and hurt you too." Hatsuharu told the Rabbit.

"When Rena was calling for your help… I don't think she meant for you to physically help her and save her from Itachi and Akito. I think… I think she wanted your help, mentally and emotionally."

"What do you mean, Haru?" Momiji inquired. "I mean… She really loves you, Momiji. And for you to be the first one she calls for… To be the first one she wants as support… Then that must mean you mean a lot to her, and you make her very happy." Hatsuharu explained.

"Think about it, Momiji. What do you think she meant? Why don't you ask her? I know she remembers."

"Haru…" Momiji whispered.

"Well, I'm sleepy, so I'm going to bed. Night Momiji." Hatsuharu covered himself with the blankets.

"Night... Haru." Momiji laid down. _"Good night, Rena-chan." _He closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep slumber.

_Think about it, Momiji. With your eyes closed… What do __**you**__ think she meant?_

**Me: Finally! It's over o**

**Momiji: ….**

**Me: Poor Momitchi-kun hugs **

**Momiji: Ah… So, back when Rena-chan and I were making food for the picnic, that's what I was going on about not being able to forgive myself?**

**Me: Mhm.**

**Momiji: …That was harsh, what Itachi and Akito did to Rena-chan**

**Me: Yep. Very, very harsh. But it's the only way to get the Symbol of Collision on the direct reincarnation of Inami Tsujitani's back. Just how it works.**

**Momiji: Even so…**

**Me: Worried if Rena-chan would be mad at you if she found out?**

**Momiji: Actually, yes**

**Me: You'll find out soon enough XD**

**Momiji: WAIT, WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?**

**Me: You're so serious right now Momitchi! Be HAPPY! vanishes**

**Momiji: …How can I be happy when my Imoutou-san could possibly hate me?...**


	33. Chapter 33

**Me: Okay people, this is how its going down. My computer is being a piece of crap. For the last few months, I have been unable to do anything but get on AIM and IMVU. Soooo... I'm having my online big brother update for me. He's now my official Editor and Helper until further notice!**

**MasterDream385: That would be me.**

**Me: *hugs Dream* Yep, this be my big brother Adam ya'll!**

**Dream: Hello all**

**Me: Alright, so I'll be typing my stuff, and Dream'll be posting it, editing it, etc. Hopefully, he doesn't screw anything up XD**

**Dream: Have more faith in me, Stini.**

**Me: Of course, of course. I put my all of my faith into you, **_**DARLING**_ **Yume-nii!**

**Dream: That's the spirit!**

**Me: And if you screw something up, I'll hurt you dearly *wink***

**Dream: =o**

**Me: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but my characters and this story! **

Chapter Thirty Three

**---Rena's Dream---**

"Uggghhh… Where am I?" Rena sat up, rubbing her head. Surrounding her was miles and miles and miles of immense darkness. The darkness was everywhere. Everything was pitch black.

Rena stood up. _"Why is it so dark here? And so cold?"_ She wondered.

_**My world is a black place. My world is a cold, black, inescapable place. So you need to be cold and black, too. Just like My World.**_

"W… Who's there? Hello? Is someone out there? Answer me!" Rena called out into the see of darkness.

"Help us, Rena-chan." A totally white Momiji whispered, looking as though all of his color had been taken away as though he stepped right out of a colorless coloring book, appearing a few feet in front of her.

"…Momiji-kun?!" Rena gasped. "W… What happened to you?" She walked towards him, placing her hand on his cheek. He was ice cold. His icy hands covered hers instinctively, taking in the warmth she was providing him, but still not warming up any.

"Oh you poor thing! You're freezing! Come here, I'll warm you up!" Rena took Momiji into her arms, cradling him.

"…Imoutou-san… You have to get out of here…" Momiji whispered, hugging onto Rena. "I won't leave you like this, Momiji-kun!" She hugged the Juunishi bunny even tighter.

"You will not leave his side now, but where were you the one time he, we, needed you the most, Rena?" Hatsuharu appeared, looking colorless and ghostly like Momiji.

"Why weren't you with Tohru like you should've been? Why did you leave her side? You were the only one who could have protected her, saved us, and stopped him." Uotani walked into Rena's view, appearing the same way Hatsuharu and Momiji had.

"Why didn't you come? Where were you? Why did you force us to have to protect Tohru, knowing we didn't have the right power to stop Akito? Now look at us. We're… Lost. In Eternal Darkness. Our souls… Will wonder in the Darkness forevermore." Hanajima's blank icy stare pierced Rena, her looking ghostly as well.

"_Is… Is this what happens to you when you become lost in the darkness? You become a ghost? And your soul wanders in the dark? For an eternity?"_ Rena wondered.

"It's all your fault. It's you fault. Yours, Rena. Kyo, Tohru, Yuki, and Kagura are dead. Because of _you_. And Akito's become invincible because of _you_. The World's End… The Destruction of The Destined Future… Has come, because of _you._" Hatsuharu told Rena with an icy bitter tone.

"N… No… It's not my fault. I… I didn't know, Hatsu, I didn't know! I… I couldn't have known! I'm… I'm sorry!" Rena apologized.

"Sorry won't stop Akito. Nor will it save us from the Dark." Hanajima retorted, turning away. "This is all your fault. So it's your responsibility to fix it." Uotani crossed her arms.

"Hurry, Rena-chan! You don't have long before the battle tonight. You know it comes around every year this day ever since the second anniversary of this day. Hayaku, Rena-chan! Before you make the same mistake again." Momiji squeezed Rena's hand before stepping away, Rena's warmth still lingering on his skin.

The four lost teenagers began to get further and further away from Rena. Their feet were not moving at all, but their bodies moved further and further away from her.

"Wait! Momiji-kun! Hatsuharu-kun! Uotani-san! Hanajima-san! Chotta matte kudasai!" Rena ran, trying to catch up with the dead souls, but the more she ran, the further they become.

**(Chotta/Chotto matte kudasai means 'Wait a minute')**

"Do you really want to join us here? And what about Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori? Do you want them to end up in the Darkness too?" Uotani inquired. "Get on with it, Tsujitani!"

"Save them, Rena. Lead them through it. Take responsibility for your mistakes. Before you lose them again." Hanajima advised.

"We believe in you, Rena. You can do it. Just try it!" Momiji smiled before the group of four teenagers began to get so far away, their voices becoming distant and them being out of Rena's sight.

"NO! MOMIJI! HARU! UOTANI! HANAJIMA! COME BACK! DON'T GO! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Rena screamed after the souls in vain/

_**You have to become black too, Rena. You can be with them in the Darkness. Join us in the Darkness, Rena.**_

The color and warmth began to leave Rena's body, leaving her colorless and as cold as ice. Suddenly, large black wings sprouted out of Rena's back.

Rena's eyes widened, alarmed. "No… Please… Not yet… I'm not ready yet… I can't… I… I have to protect them! Please!" She begged.

The large black wings engulfed Rena, blocking air from coming in. It was only a matter of time before there was too little oxygen left in the air and too much carbon dioxide, making it hard for Rena to breathe.

"No… Please… Stop it… Stop it! Let me go! I have to go! I can't die yet! Not just right now… You can't take my life yet!" Rena tried desperately to free herself from the wings that closed her in tightly like she was a caterpillar in a cocoon, or a prisoner in an inescapable prison, in vain.

Rena felt herself become light headed. She was dizzy from the lack of air. She slumped to her knees, trying to hold her breath so that she would waste no oxygen.

From inside of the darkness of the cocoon-line wings, a pair of dark, sinister black eyes stared at Rena, them piercing into her heart, judging her, weighing her worth, seeing all of her dark secrets.

Rena lost her breath, quite like her she found herself lost to the evil pair of eyes that bore into her.

"_Who… Are you? Are you… Could you be…?" _Rena thought almost as if the eyes could read her mind before collapsing, fainting from the lack of air.

_**Die, Rena. Let it destroy you. Let it **__**kill**__** you!**_

**---End of Rena's Dream---**

Gasping for air, Rena jolted awake in a cold sweat. She sat up, looking around her. Immediately, she looked at her skin, and felt put her hand to her cheek.

Her skin was still chocolate brown.

Her body was still producing warmth.

"…I'm in Tohru's room…" It finally hit her. "It was just a dream… I'm safe… I haven't died yet…"

The Light Princess coughed, shivering violently. "Man, I feel so cold… Why am I so cold...?" Rena looked at her alarm clock.

It read six-thirty.

"I might as well get up. I have to go to work today." Rena coughed some more, gathering her supplies and going to take a shower.

"_That was such a strange dream… Almost as if it was real… How cold Momiji was… His coldness still lingers on my skin…_" Rena thought was the hot water washed over her.

"_Is… That what happened to them? Momiji, Hatsuharu, Uotani, and Hanajima of the Destined Future… Died? And become souls forever wandering in the darkness? I… I have to help them then… There's no way I can ignore this now… I have to fix this mess, before it gets any worse!"_

"_And that voice… That almost familiar voice… It was so calm, yet pained… So… Sad… I can't think of whose voice that was… And those eyes…"_

"_When those eye bore into me… I felt like I was unraveling and coming undone, right then and there… Whose eyes were those…? I… Don't understand… Was that really the Angel of Death? But if so…"_

"_Why do those eyes remind me so much of my own?"_

-----------------------------

After taking a nice hot shower, Rena wrapped herself up in a white towel and crept back into Tohru's room, beginning to get dressed in her work uniform.

"Hn? Rena-chan? What are you doing up so early?" Tohru yawned, stretching out a little. "It's only six-forty fix in the morning. You should get back to sleep."

"Koff! Koff! _Koff!_ What do you – koff! – mean, Tohru? I have – koff! Koff! – Work today." Rena coughed hard as she finished getting dressed.

"Rena-chan, you sound like you're sick. Why don't you call in at work and tell them that you can't make it?" Tohru suggested.

Rena froze, flinching. "S… Sick? I've never been sick before in my entire life! OH NO! I might have a disease! I might die! This is so terrible!!!" Rena panicked.

"Um, Rena-chan? You won't die." Tohru sweat dropped. "What is all of this commotion about so early in the morning?" Shigure asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"It's horrible, Shigure! I'm sick! I'M SICK! This isn't good at all! Not good at all! I'll die! I probably have a contagious disease! OH NOOOOO!" Rena shrieked.

"…Doesn't she know its NATURAL to get sick sometimes? What is it with people from the Future…?" Shigure sweat dropped.

"Something tells me I don't want to get involved in whatever stupidity is going on, but I'll do it anyway." Hatori sighed, walking in.

"Why is the princess screaming like an idiot?"

"Oh Hatori, it's TERRIBLE! I've caught a deadly disease that just might be contagious and strong enough to end all of mankind! Isn't that just HORRIBLE? I'M SORRREEEYYYY IF YOU CATCH MY LIFE THREATENING DISEASE!" Rena freaked out.

**(She's not familiar with "being sick". Being sick is very uncommon among the Supreme Kingdom. Excluding Akii-chan. He's always sick haha)**

"That's not quite what you told us before, Rena-chan." Shigure sweat dropped. "She sounds like _Ritsu_. Remind me to keep distance between the princess and Ritsu. FAR distance." Hatori sighed.

-------------------------------------------------------

"So, Tori? How bad is it?" Rena asked, putting her night gown back on. "Will I die?" "First off, you're not going to die. You're just as sick as a dog." Hatori corrected, putting up his stethoscope and examining the thermometer he had stuck in Rena's mouth minutes ago.

"And second… You have a feverish-cold. Well, at least, that's what it seem like. A mixture of a fever and a cold all together at its fullest."

"A feverish-cold? No, it should be a _coldish-fever_! I like the sound of that better!" Shigure insisted. "Sure. Whatever. But that's not really the point." Hatori responded, a vein popping out of his head.

**(He's easily irritated today lol. Lack of sleep for several nights does that to you)**

"A feverish-cold? You mean Rena-chan has BOTH at ONCE? A fever AND a cold, wrapped up all in one package?" Tohru asked.

("No!!! It's a COLDISH-FEVER!!! Gosh!" Shigure pouted in the background)

Hatori nodded. "I suppose you could look at it that way, Tohru-kun. Somehow, she's managed to catch both a fever and cold her first time ever getting sick. Amazingly, really. She's usually immune to things like this. But how could she get BOTH at once like this… It's unusual…"

"I have a logical explanation for this." Shigure rubbed his chin, nodding his head as he approached Rena.

"Congratulations, Rena-chan. You have managed… TO ENTER AN UNKNOWN, ILLOGICAL STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS FILLED WITH MYSTERIOUS UNKNOWN TO MAN AND UNEXPLANABLE SECRETS!!!"

"That's not an explanation. That's something an illogical idiot would say. EXHIBIT A." Hatori shot an irritated look at Shigure.

"Well _someone_ got up on the wrong side of the living room floor this morning, Grouchy Pants-san." Shigure mumbled to himself.

"I thought that was a pretty cool explanation…"

"Of course an idiot would think that."

"What's a – AH – AH – ACHOO!!!" Rena sneezed, blowing Tohru, Hatori, and Shigure away. "A cold and a fever?" She finished her sentence.

"Oops… Sorry you guys…"

"Bless you…" Shigure groaned. "A cold and a fever are two kinds of common sicknesses that people often catch." Hatori explained. "You've been let off easy. At least you don't have something like a stomach virus, or the flu."

"My throat is itchy and hurts when I cough, my nose is runny, my eyes are all watery and itchy, my head hurts, I'm starting to sneeze like there's no tomorrow, my stomach hurts, and I'm burning up but I feel so very cold… How do I get rid of these sicknesses?" Rena asked.

Hatori pushed Rena down onto her bed. "Lots of bed, rest, medicine, and care, Miss Complain-A-Lot." Hatori threw the blankets over Rena.

"Don't forget soup! Lots and lots of soup! And you need to stay warm! Plus, you need to be very comfortable!" Tohru added.

Rena coughed and sneezed. "Oooooowwwww… It hurts my throat like hell when I cough, and it hurts my nose when I sneeze."

"Kleenex?" Tohru held a box of tissues out to Rena. "Thanks." Rena took on gratefully and blew her nose soundly, followed by a series of coughs.

"Aw, poor Rena-chan's really sick." Shigure took the hand of the weakly girl. "I think we figured that out quite some time ago." Hatori retorted.

"I know why you're sick. You didn't wear the bathrobe I bought for you, did you?" Shigure asked, holding up a furry pink bathrobe with red hearts and clouds on it.

"It matches with my gown. And my blanks. And my pillows. And my sheets. And my slippers. And my lamp. And the walls. And the floor. And the ceiling. And the curtains. And _Tohru's_ blanks. And _Tohru's_ pajamas. And _Tohru's_ pillows. And even the dresser." Rena's eyebrow twitched.

"It's like we're in a cute fuzzy pink wonderland…"

"Yep! I got Tohru-kun one too!" Shigure handed Tohru an identical bathrobe. "By the way… Did either of you put on the matching bra and panties?" he smirked.

"Shameless pervert… I'd rather die." Rena muttered. "Well then at least put on the matching socks and bathrobe. To keep warm." Shigure urged.

"Ah, no. I'd rather freeze to death." Rena turned to Tohru. "Tohru-kun, could you please get me another blanket?" Rena asked.

"Oh, uh, um, I'm sorry, Rena-chan, but Kagura-chan took up all of them last night. She, uh, wanted to make sure she and Kyo-kun stayed warm through their journey of love. And it got pretty cold last night, so Ayame-san and Yuki-kun took an extra blanket too." Tohru explained.

"They're all still asleep."

A random chill blew into the room, passing Rena by. Rena hugged her arms as her teeth began to chatter from the random change in temperature. She glared up at Shigure, who was smirking down at her with mocking, taunting eyes.

"It's your choice, Rena-chan." Shigure shrugged, grinning. "…Gimme those." Rena muttered under her breath, snatching the bathrobe and socks out of Shigure's hands and putting them on as he watched with amusement.

"You'd better be lucky Kagura-chan stole away most of the blankets and Ame-nii and Yun-yun took the left over blankets. And I still absolutely _refuse_ to wear the bra and panties, hentai."

"Of course, of course. I guess I had better not push my luck." Shigure replied. "…But perhaps _Tohru-kun_ will…" Shigure turned to look at Tohru with a kinky grin.

"Don't you even _think_ about trying to get Tohru to wear that, perv!" Rena snapped. "How can you blame me? Living with two young and beautiful high school girls, sexual attraction is bound to happen sooner or later." Shigure shrugged again.

Suddenly, two thick glass plates were thrown at the back of Shigure's head, knocking him out cold. "Don't be a vulgar, Shigure." Yuki walked in.

"Y-Y-Yuki-kun? S-S-S-Shigure-san?!" Tohru panicked. "Nice shot, Yuki." Rena told the Silver Prince.

"Honestly, how could _anyone_ get more annoying that _him_?" Yuki glared at Shigure **(who is currently unconscious)**

"AH HA HA!!!! Good morning, Dearest Yuki! Come greet your Dearest older brother and give him a big hug full of all of your undying love for him!" Ayame came barging into Rena and Tohru's room.

"Ame-nii! Ohayou Gozaimasu!" Rena greeted Ayame. "Good morning to you too, my sweet little Rena." Ayame responded, taking Rena's hands.

"I take it back. I take it _all back_. I've found an idiot even _more_ annoying than _two _Shigure's put _together_. My so-called brother. And his name is…" Yuki trailed off dismally.

"Hello Yuki!" Ayame stood behind his younger brother. "Did you miss me while we were apart?"

"No. Not in the least. Do I even _know_ you? No, I couldn't possibly know a person like _you_. You're the King of all Idiots." Yuki responded with a bright gleaming innocent smile.

"Awww… That hurt Yuki…." Ayame acted as though he had been struck. "Yuki… Promise me you'll never turn into your brother." Hatori requested of the young Juunishi member.

"Don't worry, I won't. And I can't. Because _I have no brother_. This idiot standing behind me couldn't possibly be related to me in any way at all." Yuki replied.

"I love you too, Yuki." Ayame hugged Yuki. "Get off of me. Before I wring your neck." Yuki growled, obviously tired.

"Uh-oh, looks like Yun-yun woke up on the wrong side of the bed too this morning." Rena snickered. "You'd better watch out, Ame-nii.

"Violent this morning, aren't we?" Ayame recoiled from his tired, irritated brother. "You should let your _dearest _older brother take alllllll of you stress away!"

"How can I when my '_dearest older brother'_ is the absolute _source_ of all my stress?" Yuki retorted.

**Me: So yeah. That chapter wasn't of much importance lol. Mostly the beginning, Rena's dream, and shortly after that. But it's leading up to Momiji's confrontation with Rena, and a certain angry Horse of the Juunishi visiting…**

**Dream: Hmmm… I see… (has very limited knowledge of Furuba.) **

**Me: Adam, you need to read the manga . Your limited knowledge of Furuba is depressing me.**

**Dream: Sorry! I'll try.**

**Me: Because I just know how much you LOVE what I've told you about it so far *wink***

**Dream: Haha, yeah, two hours of explaining good things about this series. I do admit it sounds pretty interesting.**

**Me: THEN READ IT! Or I'll FORCE you!**

**Dream: (picks up volume one) I'm reading, I'm reading.**

**Me: Good. Alrighty, let's end the chapter so I can hurry up and type up the next one!**

**Dream: Alright. Read and review please. (goes back to manga)**


	34. Chapter 34

**Me: And I'm back, my dear sweet reviewers! I know you're all just ANXIOUS for the next chapter lol.**

**Dream: Naturally.**

**Me: Alright, I don't quite remember what happens in this chapter, so I guess I'll have to type it up to find out XD. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Dream: (is still reading volume one)**

**Me: How long is it gonna take you to read that thing?**

**Dream: (mumbles) Shut up, I'm trying, I'm trying.**

**Me: Haha. Slow reader.**

**Dream: Yep.**

**Me: Start the chapter, Adam!**

**Dream: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

**Me: Roll 'em!**

Chapter Thirty Four

"Sorry for being so violent this morning, Honda-san. I was a little tired and cranky. I hope you can forgive me." Yuki told the onigiri.

"Oh, so you apologize to _Tohru_, but not to the sick dying princess over here? How rude." Rena crossed her arms teasingly.

"You too, Tsujitani-san." Yuki smiled back at Rena. "By the way… I heard that you've caught a… 'feverish-cold', was it? – "

"No… She caught… A coldish-fever… Ughhh…" Shigure corrected the Rat of the Juunishi, groaning in pain as he rubbed his aching head. **(He's finally awake now too lol)**

"Shut up, Shigure. Before _**I**_ hit you." Hatori snapped a warning at the Juunishi Dog. "What's with you and being especially annoying this morning?"

"…Anyway, I've heard that you're sick, and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help you get better." Yuki finished.

"Yeah. You could take these idiots out of here and try to keep the house a little quiet." Rena glared at Ayame, who had not ceased being loud yet, seeing he was in an extra cheerful mood this morning, and Shigure.

"My ears are very sensitive to sound right now. Like I've suddenly gotten acute hearing from being sick."

Yuki nodded. "Alright. I'll do my best to keep this house as quiet as – "

BOOM!

CRASH!

THUD!

"Rena-chan!!!" Momiji pounced onto Rena, hugging her. "Rena-chan, Haru told me you were sick! Is that true? Are you sick?" Momiji asked.

"So much for quiet." Hatori mumbled. Hatsuharu walked in with his famous blank expression. "This is all your fault, isn't it?" Rena's eyes began to glow as she glared at the Ox.

"You know you love us." Hatsuharu replied. "Yes, I do love you guys. And I know you guys love me. And allll of you guys' love means big noise. And _that's_ why I need you to get the hell outta this room and go somewhere else!" Rena retorted.

"And yes, Momiji-kun, unfortunately, I'm sick." Rena sighed. "Can you please get off of me now? I love you Momitchi-chan, and you're as cute as a button, but my legs can't take your weight right now."

Momiji got off of Rena. "Oops. Sorry, Rena. I hope you feel better." "You look a little troubled, Momiji." Hatori narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the Rabbit.

"Me? Troubled? No way Hari! I'm one hundred percent okay…!" Momiji insisted. "Well, I'm glad for that much…" Rena sighed a sigh of relief.

"…Tori-nii? Can I speak with you, Ame-nii, and Shii-chan about somet5hing?" The light hime suddenly asked.

"Hn? What is it about?" Hatori inquired.

"It's about… My Dream of Darkness. I finally had it…"

"Oh… That… I see… Where is Shire? He'll need to hear this…"

"Eh? What is it? Is something the matter, Rena-chan?" Tohru asked curiously. "Nothing's wrong, Tohru. It's just… I need to talk to Hatori, Ayame, and Shire about something. Privately." Rena told the onigiri.

"I suppose I'll go get Shire." Shigure got up with a sigh and left the room in search of his Future self.

"Tsujitani-san… While you're waiting for Shire… Can I ask you something?" Yuki asked as soon as Shigure left. "Sure. What is it, Yuki?" Rena gave the Rat her undivided attention.

"Well… Remember when you were telling us about the Tsujitani Curse?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I know the first phase is that whenever you hug or kiss a person of the opposite sex outside of the Tsujitani or Sohma family, it kills them, and that the next one is the Angels of Life and Death, and that the third one is your bound to Akito, but… What about the last one? Sorry, I've been a little curious about it."

"…No, that' okay, Yuki-kun. You deserve to know. Well… The Fourth phase of the Tsujitani curse for me… Is the most important of the four phases. The fourth phase of the Tsujitani curse is… - "

"Princess, do you _really_ want to start that old conversation? After what happened last night?" Hatsuharu interrupted. "save this conversation for a more _appropriate_ time."

"Hn? Is there something wrong with the fourth phase?" Yuki blinked a few times. "…No. It's just… You shouldn't make Rena-chan tell you. About… The Symbol of Collision. And… How she acquired it." Momiji murmured.

Rena's eyes widened. "M… Momiji-kun? Do you… Do you know about… My Symbol of Collision? Do you _know_? Who… How?" Rena asked the bunny.

With his blonde bangs covering his ashamed eyes, Momiji said nothing. "Haru… How does he know? Tell me now." Rena demanded.

"…Princess, Sensei has returned with… Sensei…" Hatsuharu stepped back, letting the two dogs through. "What's wrong, Rena-hime? Is something the matter? Do you need to tell me something?" Shire asked.

Rena looked back and forth between Hatsuharu and Momiji before sighing deeply. "Yes. There is something I'd like to talk to you, Tori-nii, and Ame-nii about." Rena looked towards Yuki, Shigure, and Tohru.

"Could you guys please excuse us for a few minutes?"

"Of course, Rena-chan! Come on, Yuki-kun! You can help me make the soumen and soup for Rena-chan!" Tohru took Yuki's hand.

"Come along, Shigure. This isn't the time to be nosy." Yuki grabbed Shigure, forcing him out with him and Tohru.

Just as Hatsuharu and Momiji turned to leave, Rena motioned for them to stop. "Oh, Momiji… Hatsuharu… Could the two of you please stay? You need to be aware of this as well."

Reluctantly, Hatsuharu and Momiji nodded, closing the door. "So, my beloved Rena, is there something you wish to inform us about?" Ayame asked.

"I don't know if this is important or not… But… I had a very unusual dream, and I think it led to me being sick too. It felt so real… Anyway, I think… It was about the Angel of Death."

Suddenly, the room became absolutely silent. An unnatural silence. The five male Juunishi males glanced at one another, worry shining brightly in their beautiful eyes, but none of them dared to speak.

"…Rena-chan… Do you know what seeing the Angel of Death in dreams means?" Momiji asked. Rena shook her head. "No. Not exactly."

"Rena… In your dream, did you see the face of who you claim to be the Angel of Death?" Hatori inquired. "No. All I saw was its large dark black wings and black eyes piecing into me from the darkness." Rena answered.

"So this was your first time ever seeing the creature?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. Then don't worry about it. Just… Try to get some rest." Shire patted Rena's head. "Why are you guys so nervous about me seeing the Angel of Death? I'll have to come face to face with it sooner or later if I want to save the Three Worlds, right? So what's the big deal? As long as I have the Angel of Life within my body as well and I don't give in, I'll be just fine." Rena pointed out.

"Rena… It's… That's not necessarily so. You don't _want_ to see that angel. _Trust _me_. _The truth behind that angel… Your connection to the Angel of Death and involvement to the Darkness… Will shake you up really badly. So… Just try to forget about the angel right now." Ayame replied.

"But Ayameeeee! The angel – " Rena began whining, but was interrupted by Ayame suddenly yelling at her in an authority voice, "Don't! Leave the angel alone, alright? Just forget it! Don't try to dream about it, and don't try to find out more about it! Don't accidentally summon that evil spirit, Rena! Promise me you won't get mixed up with it! Promise me!!"

"…Aya… Why… Are you shaking like that? Is something the matter? You usually wouldn't… Yell at me like that…" Rena trailed off.

"Just _please_ Rena. Don't… Don't do it. I don't want to lose another person I love and care about to the Darkness. _Please_." Ayame begged.

"…Alright, Ame-nii. I will try my best to forget about my dreams." Rena sighed_. "…I guess it's okay… that they don't want to tell me. That they refuse to explain it fully. Talking to me about my death… Isn't something easy for them to do. It's okay if they don't want to tell me more about The Angel of Death. My personal executor and symbol of death…" _she thought.

"_I wonder how much time I have left before the Angel comes to visit me again… How much time I have left… Until it finally reveals itself to me…"_

"Arigatou, my dear princess." Ayame hugged Rena, kissing her cheek. "Dou Itashimashite, Ame-nii." Rena smiled back.

"Small Lady, Ayame, Shire and I will be in the guest room if you need us. There's something… That we need to discuss." Hatori spoke up.

"Huh? Why are you calling me Small Lady again all of a sudden?" Rena raised a curious eyebrow. "You are a Small Lady, are you not? A princess? So I will address you as so. Especially at a time such as this one." Hatori replied.

"May we be excused, Princess?"

"Yes, _Lord_ Hatori. Thou may have thine permission. Carry on." Rena responded teasingly, followed by a muffled laugh. "Oh, but um, Momiji… Would you please stay behind?" "Huh? Oh, alright, Rena-chan." Momiji blinked a few times.

"You try to get some rest, our sweet, sweet flower. A lot of rest. You're going to be needed tonight. The whole world's depending on you being there and leading us." Shire kissed Rena's hot forehead.

"Get better, dear princess." Hatori ruffled Rena's hair. The three men walked towards the door with Hatsuharu. "See you later, Rena dear. We'll be back to check on you soon." Ayame closed the door after Hatori, Shire, Hatsuharu, and himself.

"Momiji-kun…" Rena looked towards the Rabbit of the Juunishi. "Yes? Rena-chan?" Momiji swallowed hard. "Momiji-kun… Do you really know about… My Symbol of Collision?" Rena inquired.

Momiji looked down to the floor. "Momiji, _please_. You… You have to tell me. I just… Really need to know. _Please_." Rena pleaded.

"Momiji, will you please tell me? The truth?"

Momiji remained silent, almost as if he was choosing not to hear Rena's words, and blocking them out.

--------------------------

"Yuki-kun, you're getting better!" Tohru congratulated the Rat on his cooking. "You only set the soumen on fire six times! And it only burned five!"

"Thanks, Honda-san, but that's not really something I should be proud of." Yuki sweat dropped, picking up the large bowl of soumen. "What type of soup should we make Tsujitani-san?"

"Ummm… Well… What do you think Rena-chan likes?" Tohru asked. "Chicken noodle soup? Tomato soup? Mushroom soup? Or should we make her something like beef stew?"

"Hey."

Tohru and Yuki turned to see Kyo. Kyo opened the refrigerator door, searching through the refrigerator for something. **(Probably milk lol)**

"Kyo-kun! Ohayou Gozaimasu!" Tohru greeted the orange haired teenager. Kyo nodded. "Have you heard? Tsujitani-san's sick." Yuki watched Kyo carefully. "Are you going to see her?"

"Keh!" Kyo snorted. "Why the hell should _I_ go see _her_?" "Kyo-kun, are you still mad at Rena-chan? Do you still refuse to talk to her?" Tohru asked.

"The hell I am! I have every damn right to be!" Kyo retorted. "Kyo-kun… Being mad at Rena-chan… Hating Rena-chan… Rejecting-Rena-chan, for something she did not do and could not control… It's no good, if you ask me." Tohru said sadly.

"I understand that you're angry and quite upset that the woman who did that to you, the one that gave you the vengeful spirit of the chat and cursed the Sohma Family was Rena's direct carnation, but…"

"Kyo-kun… You have to understand. Rena-chan is only Rena-chan. She's not Inami-san. She's no one but herself. She didn't do those things. Inami-san and Itachi-san did. It's not her fault that she's The Creator of the Sohma Family Curse, The Slave of the Juunishi. Just as it's not your fault your that Cat of the Juunishi and that you have… That form."

"Neither of you chose to live the way you live, chose to be who and what you are. Rena-chan really cares about you, Kyo-kun. And if you would realize that… You'd know that she would _never, __**ever**_ do something like that to you. Never. She _loves_ you – Like an older brother. She'd never mean to truly harm you."

"I think… I honestly think that you should forgive Rena-chan. Kyo-kun, I know this is bothering her as much as it's bothering you. I know she doesn't like what her carnation did to you. Rena-chan can't change that face that Inami-san cursed you and your family, so don't hold her responsible. Even if Rena-chan truly believes she is the one at fault.

"I can feel it, Kyo-kun. She regrets being mixed up in this, and I know that you know that, Kyo-kun. So then why are you holding her accountable? Why?"

"She said it herself, Tohru. Inami is one with her, and she is one with Inami. She is the one to blame. Rena holds _herself_ responsible, just like you said. She _wants_ me to blame her, and also my forgiveness. Not just for her, but for Inami, too. Rena truly believes its her own fault." Kyo responded.

"I won't deny that fact that I'm still angry with her. I also won't deny the fact that I meant _everything_ that I said to her last night. She _knew_ about this. She _knew_… And yet… She never told me. Never even bothered to inform me. What makes me maddest… Is that she decided to keep something so important a secret from me. My pain, my suffering… It didn't matter to her. As long as she could keep it a secret from me… She didn't care."

"No… You're… You're wrong! Kyo-kun… You're wrong! Oh, Kyo-kun… How could she have? It's not easy… To admit secrets like those to the ones you love the most. She couldn't tell you… Because she was afraid."

"She would have been ashamed if you found out. And I bet she started to wonder… 'What would I do if he started to hate me?'. She must have been so very scared, Kyo-kun. She didn't want for you to hate her."

"It's because she loves you so much, Kyo-kun… That she could not bring herself to tell you the truth. Can you _imagine_ the terror of having to tell someone you love so very much and hold so close to your heart… Something that you _know_ will cause them to hate you?"

_**Come on. Do it. Do it right now, Kyo. Because if you don't… I'll never forgive you. I **__**won't**__** forgive you. Do it. Or do you want even **__**more**__** terror? Do you?**_

Kyo's eyes widened.

"Kyo, Not that I really care about how you feel towards this matter, but… Try being in Tsujitani-san's place. Try being held responsible for something that you could not stop, and for one of the people you love the most… To hate you deeply because of it." Yuki set up the scenario for the orange cat.

"Can you imagine it, Kyo? What would _you_ do? Would you be able to tell them? How would it make _you_ feel… If the person you love so very much… Desired to take _your_ life?"

_**I won't forgive you…**_

_**I'll never forgive you…**_

"How would that make you feel, Kyo? Be honest with yourself. Can you relate to that scenario? You can, can't you?"

_**I won't…**_

_**I'll never…**_

"Shut up. I heard you the first time. You don't have to repeat yourself like a damn broken record." Kyo shut the refrigerator door, holding a milk carton in her hands.

"…I'll give it some thought. I won't be able to forgive her right away, but… Let me think over it." Kyo turned away. "But I don't think I'll be able to stand seeing her face for a while."

"Kyo-kun… I'm glad you're going to at least try." Tohru smiled. "Whatever." Kyo grabbed at towel. "I'll be outside if you need me. I think I'll go for a jog." Kyo told the onigiri before walking out of the front door.

"_Hm… Kyo seems to be able to relate with Rena's situation better than I though he would be able to…"_ Yuki thought. _"Now I have to wonder… Is Tsujitani-san the only one with Dark Secrets? Somehow… I think everyone has one or two Dark Secrets of their very own."_

"_Even Honda-san."_ Yuki looked back at Tohru. "Here, let's add some more to the stew to stop it from having a plain taste, shall we, Honda-san?"

**Me: Dn-dn-dn-dnnnn! And that's the end of chapter 34! The next chapter picks up with the Destined Future Mabudachi Trio! **

**Dream: I'm quite sure your reviewers are anxious to see what's going to happen next.**

**Me: Of course! Because after the next chapter, Isuzu comes in ;) EVERYONE LOVES ISUZU lol.**

**Dream: I'm… Quite sure.**

**Me: We all know Dream Yuki's ability to use Wind ;)**

**Dream: Shut up.**

**Me: Haha.**

**Dream: Read and review please!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Me: Alright, I was going to say all this stuff about liking Christmas and thanking my reviewers and stuff, but I missed Christmas lol**

**SWD: Good going EGP**

**Me: Can it, not my fault. (Late Merry Christmas, btw people!)**

**SWD: Sure, sure, whatever you say.**

**Me: I'd like to thank my reviewers for all of their help and support, good reviews or not, and I really appreciate everyone taking the time to read this stuff its good motivation!**

**SWD: We also would like to wish everyone a Happy New Years!**

**Me: Late I own nothing but my characters and this story!**

Chapter Thirty Five

"Well… That was a nice way to start of the morning…" Shire muttered under his breath. "Yeah… Just swell." Hatori sighed. "How can the two of you just be so calm about this?! Rena saw the Angel of Death in her dream, without a doubt! You two _know_ what that means!!!" Ayame exclaimed.

"Yes, we know what that means, Ayame, but what do you _want_ us to do? Sit around all day and cry about it? That's no good. There's nothing we can do to change her destiny or fate. And you just have to accept that fact of that matter, Ayame." Hatori replied with an icy tone of voice, it coming out harsher than he had meant it to.

"H… Hatori..." Ayame gasped. "How… How can you say something like that so coldly? Don't you care about Rena at all?!"

"Of course I care about the princess. Very much, in fact. I love her – She's like a daughter to me. But... You have to understand, Ayame… This isn't only hurting you. Moping and whining will do no good. It won't stop or change anything from happening." Hatori responded.

"Rena seeing the Angel of Death in her dreams… Means death for her might be coming sooner than we had expected. The Darkness within Rena… Is beginning to grow. And awake The Two Angels for good."

"Hmmm. This curse… The Tsujitani Curse… Is very… Complex. And elegant. The Two Angels of Life and Death… The Three Powers of Darkness, Light, and Twilight… The unveiling of Dark Secrets… Is all of this triggered by The Dark Collision and Rena-chan's dream?" Shire asked.

"…Not necessarily so. But it all does seem to be connected. Because Rena is Inami's reincarnation and the Head of the Tsujitani Family… It's not a surprise that The Angel of Death confronted Rena in her dream, even if only briefly." Hatori answered.

"Luckily, this time was only a warning. The third time Rena is confronted by the Angel of Death in her dreams… It would usually mean she will die soon. It's a bad omen."

"Yeah… I just hope she doesn't see The Angel of Death a third time. Or else she'll…" Ayame stopped in mid sentence.

The room was quiet for a moment. Everyone was silent and everything was still. Minutes later, the silence was broken by a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Hatori demanded.

"It's me, Hatsuharu."

"Oh, it's only you, Haru. You can come in."

Hatsuharu opened the door and closed it shut behind him. "What is it, Haa-kun? Is something the matter?" Shire asked the Ox.

"I think it's about time I tell you about that night years ago. About Rena's… Symbol of Collision." Hatsuharu sat down. "Hm. I figured." Shire smiled to himself.

"More Dark Secrets to be revealed to the Light."

----

Rena-chan… I… Yes. I know. I was there. I saw all of the horrible things Akito-san and Itachi-san did to you. I was there. But I couldn't do anything." Momiji admitted quietly.

"It was shortly after that incident…That you lost the will to smile for yourself. Your true, beautiful smile… Had shattered and withered away into nothing. That fake, deceiving smile that works on everyone else…"

"You can't fool me of Haru with it. When you smile, it may look like your fine to everyone else, but… We know you're really grimacing. You try desperately covering everything up. You smile only to stop the others from worrying."

"Because when you needed me the most… And I didn't do anything… You died on the inside. And lost your smile along with yourself." Momiji's voice cracked.

"It's… All my fault!"

_**MOMIJI-ONIICHAN!!! BIG BROTHER! PLEASE! HELP ME!**_

Momiji cringed in pain from the memory of Rena's pained voice calling out for him in vain haunting him. Rena had only been sitting there, saying absolutely nothing. She wasn't even looking at Momiji. Her black bangs hid her eyes, her expression unreadable.

Because of Rena's silence, Momiji decided to go on.

"Rena-chan… I watched Itachi-san bet you. His whip… Kept raining down on you again and again without stop. He cut into your flesh, and your blood… Your innocent blood… Had been spilt. He was _killing_ you. He gave you unimaginable, intense pain… And while you screamed, cried, and bled… All I did was watch in horror."

"I… I could've done something. I could've easily called attention to myself, and escaped with you. But… I didn't. I was so scared and frightened… I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't brave enough."

"And then… All of a sudden… You called for me. You screamed out my name. You _begged_ me to help you. I couldn't understand why, and it put my mind in chaos. Even though you needed me… All I did was try to block out your pain and your screams."

"It… It makes me feel so… _Dirty._ I'm… _Horrible_. Aren't I, Rena-chan? I… I could've at least _tried_ to protect you. But I didn't even do that. I _let_ you suffer, Rena-chan. I _decided_ to let you suffer from the moment I said I couldn't do it."

"Maybe it was because I didn't care. Maybe my body wouldn't move not out of fear… But out of my own lack of caring, and relief. Maybe I only thought of all those brave things… But truthfully… I was _glad_ it wasn't me."

"Either way… There was no way someone like me could've saved you. I decided on that, too. 'I'm just a small little kid. I'll only get caught, and they'll hurt me, too', I remember thinking. 'I want to protect Rena-chan… But there's nothing I can do'."

"I now realize, Rena-chan… The only reason I couldn't save you… Was because I gave up too easily. I believed I was too weak to save you. That I was too small. I wasn't brave like Haru. I wasn't strong like the other. So… I gave up."

"And _because_ I gave up… Even when you pleaded for me to save you, and screamed out my name… Everything that happened to you… Your scars, blood, and tears… It's entirely my fault. All because I was far too scared to do anything. Because I didn't have a strong will."

"This guilt… The guilt of it all… Was _unbearable_, Rena-chan. So after that day… I decided I would from then on out do my best to protect you, and try even harder to make you happy."

"I _never_ for the rest of my _life_ wanted to see another tear fall from your eyes, Rena-chan. I did everything I could – Endure all sorts of pain, kept my pain to myself, and never _ever_ willing let it burden you."

"But… No matter what I did… It just wasn't enough. The guilt… Only grew. I couldn't bare it anymore. So Rena-chan… I'm asking for your forgiveness."

"Even though I am a failure of a big brother… Even though I didn't protect you of all people, the one who means the most to me, my Imoutou-san… I'm _begging_ for your forgiveness." Momiji looked at Rena.

"I'm so… so very sorry, Rena-chan. So incredibly sorry. I promise, I'll _never_ as long as I _live_ allow something like that to happen to you again. I know... It might be hard for you to… But… _Please_… Forgive me."

Rena remained silent and unchanged. Her hangs still covered her eyes, and her expression was still unreadable.

---

"So there you have it. That's everything that happened that night six years ago. That's how Rena got her Symbol of Collision as well." Hatsuharu finished telling Shire, Ayame, and Hatori.

He had told them exactly what Momiji had told them last night, word to word, and everything he knew. **(I decided not to put the flashback in, since it was way too long lol. Just look back a chapter or two if you don't remember.)**

"After everything, we took her to Momiji's house, and there. We treated her wounds and waited for her to wake up. When she work up, I told her that I had seen a part of what Itachi and Akito had done to her , and that Momiji knew nothing of it. And Momiji went along with it." Hatsuharu told the three.

"The next afternoon, she was better to a point where she could go back to her palace with you guys, but she made us swear we wouldn't say anything to anyone about it."

"I've kept her secret for six years now, but I'm afraid I couldn't keep it any longer. You guys… Needed to know." Hatsuharu uncrossed his arms.

"_Rena… Please forgive me, but I know telling them was the right thing to do." _Hatsuharu thought.

The three men had been utterly speechless. Sure, they were almost positive that Akito had something to do with Rena always getting hurt, but…

They _never_ even _imagined_ it getting _that_ intense.

"A… Akito? He and Itachi… Really did that to our little girl?" Ayame whispered. "So… Itachi would do most of the actually beating… And Akito would do most of the mental torturing… They double teamed her for a full effect of horror…" Hatori trailed off.

"At least now we know… Who the ones responsible are… Why didn't Rena ever tell us about this?" Shire demanded.

"Apparently, Akito was using you, Hatori, Ayame, Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Kagura, Momiji, and myself as 'hostages'. If she told _anyone_… He threatened to kill all of us and take Tohru's heart. So… Our lives were on the line." Hatsuharu explained.

"She… She went through such an ordeal… Just to protect us from harm's way?..." Ayame muttered. "…Momiji… He must be feeling a lot of guilt. For not being able to save Rena from Itachi and Akito although he was _right there_, I mean." Shire looked up.

"I wouldn't be able to stand such guilt. Nonetheless, not for six whole entire years…"

"Yeah… Me either. He's finally confronting Rena about it right now, as we speak. I wonder how Rena's going to take it…" Hatsuharu toyed with one of his chains.

"I'm confident that it can't be _too_ bad. After all… Momiji-kun is her best friend. _And_ her ultimate big brother. They're extremely close. If anything… She won't _hate_ him. She could never _hate_… Her Onii-chan." Hatori replied.

"Yeah… I don't know why Momiji doesn't realize that. Is it the guilt? I dunno. Personally… I think that whole experience only _strengthened_ their bond… No matter how painful it might have been for them."

Ayame smiled to himself. _"Things… Are getting better for her, For Rena. It may be really painful right now, but… Things are getting better for her. That makes me… So happy."_ he thought.

"_Oh Rena-chan… You'll see. You don't have to suffer alone. We'll suffer with you. It's the only way we'll all get through this together. The only way… Bonds will get stronger. The only way… You'll realize we're here for you, and we'll always be here for you."_

"_Rena-chan… You aren't alone. You were __**never**__ alone. Not six years ago… Not now. We'll __**always**__ be there for you. Even when you can't be there for us in return."_

------------

"Rena-chan? Speak to me! Why won't you even… Look in my direction?" Momiji grabbed Rena's shoulders. "…Do I really disgust you that much? Are you… That mad at me?" Momiji whispered.

"Rena-chan… You hate me… Don't you? You're angry with me… Aren't you? I disgust you… Don't I? I… I guess that… That was only expected…" Momiji let his arms fall limp to his sides.

"I guess… It's okay. I'll just… Leave then. I promise… I won't bother you again." Momiji turned around, beginning to walk towards the door.

"Momiji-kun…" Rena whispered. "Hn?" Momiji stopped, turning back to Rena. "Yes?" "Nngh… Nngh… M… Momiji-kun!" Rena cried, jumping out of bed and running to her older brother. "Onii-chan! D… Don't go! Please… Don't go! Gomen ne! Gomen nasai! Onegai… Watashi wo yurushimasu!" Rena looked up at Momiji.

For the first time since he had been talking to her privately, he had seen her face. Her eyes were swelling with tears, them overflowing and running down her cheeks.

Her eyes looked at him pleadingly.

"You're… Sorry? You want _me_… To forgive _you_?!?!" Momiji blinked a few times, confused. "I'm… I'm sorry! Momiji-kun… I don't hate you, and I'm not angry with you! You don't disgust me, either! So please… Onii-chan… Don't think that way!" Rena clutched Momiji's shirt, balling it up in her fist.

"Momiji-kun… Don't feel so much guilt and regret… I'm so… So very glad you didn't step in. I'm… So happy you didn't. If you had tried to save me… And you had gotten hurt… That would've hurt me far worse than Akito or Itachi could _ever_!"

"But… Then… Why did you scream out my name?" Momiji asked. "_Because_… I needed your support, mentally. Momiji-kun… I needed to feel and think about someone who was dear to me. And I needed to know they were thinking of me back. Momiji-kun… I _knew_ you were there. I could _feel_ it. I knew… My Onii-chan was watching over me." Rena admitted.

"You… Did?" Momiji's eyes widened. Rena nodded. "Yes. That's another reason why… I called for you. I thought about _you_, Momiji-kun, and how sad you would be if I died before your every eyes."

"Picturing your smiling face… Imagining you would be there, waiting to play with me when it was all over… You taking my hand and calling my 'Imoutou-san'… It was all enough to keep me going."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Momiji-kun. For making you feel such guilt for so long… Making you feel like you were a horrible dirty person… I'm… I'm so sorry you had to… See that. It must've been hard for you to watch."

"And no, Momiji-kun… You're not a failure of a big brother. You've protected me all along. You're… The greatest Onii-chan in the world. A girl couldn't ask for a better one."

"So Momiji-kun… Watashi wa yurushimasu. Watashi wo yurushimasu ka?" Rena asked. **(She said "So Momiji-kun… I forgive you. Do you forgive me?)**

"Onii-chan… Watashi wa, shin no hei wa no tame no anata no yousha wo hitsuyou tashimasu!" **(Onii-chan… I need your forgiveness for peace of mind!)**

"_Rena-chan… She… She needs __**my**__ forgiveness?" _Momiji thought. _"The quilt… Is slowly vanishing, and a wave of relief is washing over me. I guess I'm not such a horrible dirty person after all… But…"_

**(Quick Japanese Lesson Summary:**

**Watashi wo yurushimasu – Forgive me**

**Watashi wa yurushimasu – I forgive you**

**Watashi wo yurushimasu ka? – Do you forgive me?**

**Watashi wa, shin no hei wa no tame no anata no yousha wo hitsuyou tashimasu – I need your forgiveness for peace of mind**

**Yurushimasu – Forgive**

**There a mini Japanese lesson! ^^)**

Momiji threw his arms around his younger sister, hugging her while she continued to cry to him. "Shhh… It's okay now, Rena-chan. It's okay. Your Onii-chan's here for you." Momiji rubbed Rena's back, soothing her.

"It's alright. Watashi wa… Yurushimasu."

"Arigatou… Onii-chan." Rena whispered, hugging Momiji tighter. "_Thank you, Momiji-kun. Thank you for always being there for me, and always protecting me. Please, Momiji-kun… Don't ever leave my side."_ Rena thought.

"I won't leave yours if you don't leave mine, Rena-chan." Momiji smiled at Rena almost as though he had read her thoughts.

"I will always be there for my dear Imoutou-san."

---------------

"There! It's finally done!" Tohru sighed with relief. Tohru had been giving Yuki a cooking lesson on how to make beef stew. After it burning/blowing up/catching on fire umpteen times… **(sweat drop)**… It had FINALLY come out JUST RIGHT.

"Thank you, Honda-san. For putting up with me, despite knowing how much of a horrible cook I am." Yuki smiled thankfully at the onigiri.

"Oh It was nothing, Yuki-kun! You're always teaching me new things! So I'm glad I was finally able to teach you something, for once! And you're not that bad of a cook!" Tohru smiled back.

"_Honda-san… You're so wrong about that. You've taught me… So many new things. You've helped me feel… So many emotions I never thought actually existed. You've loved me… The way no one else would or could. Arigatou gozaimasu… Okaa-san." _Yuki thought.

"Fancy ramen, beef stew, and a glass of orange juice with crackers! The perfect lunch to help Rena-chan feel better!" Tohru exclaimed.

"I think Tsujitani-san will really like it." Yuki agreed, carrying the tray of food and following Tohru upstairs. "Rena-chan?" Tohru knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Tohru opened the door, seeing Rena sitting up in bed and Momiji sitting at the end of the bed, talking to Rena. "Ah. Hi Tohru-kun, Yuki-kun." Rena greeted the onigiri and Rat.

"Tohru!" Momiji waved at Tohru. Tohru waved back. _"Both Momiji-kun and Rena-chan seem so much happier than before. They're even laughing and talking now." _Tohru though, watching Momiji and Rena laugh and talk together.

"Tsujitani-san… Honda-san and I made you lunch." Yuki walked up to Rena and set the tray down in front of her on her lap. "I hope you enjoy it." He smiled.

"Arigatou, Tohru-kun, Yuki-kun. I will enjoy it." Rena smiled back. "I hope you feel better soon, Rena-chan!" Tohru walked up to Rena as well, standing beside of Yuki.

"I will, Tohru, but actually, I feel a whole lot better right now – "

"You sicken me, you know that? The center of attention, as always. You don't ever get tired of playing the victim, do you?"

Everyone turned towards the door. There stood another Sohma and not a happy either. Her long trailing black hair ran down below her waist, and her anger flickering black eyes pierced Rena.

"Ah, Isuzu-chan… What an unpleasant surprise…" Rena took a long sip from the glass of orange juice and eat some of the food that was kindly prepared for her.

"Would you like some tea? You're as angry and stubborn as ever, and need to calm down before you do something you'll regret."

**Me: And there you have it – Isuzu's finally in the house ya'll!**

**SWD: Literally.**

**Me: Yep, yep! (continues texting SWD)**

**SWD: (texts back)**

**Kyo: Why are you two texting at a time like this?**

**Me/SWD: (shrug)Because we can?**

**Kyo: (sigh)**

**Me/SWD: (innocent)**

**Kyo: That's a damn lie.**

**Me/SWD: Lol.**

**Kyo: Read and review please.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Me: And we are back for another wonderful chapter in of Furuba: Dark Secrets! Sorry for such a long delay! So much school and stuff I could scream! I'm trying to get back into my Furuba mood so I can finish writing this story and hopefully its sequel.**

**Isuzu: We're back again, dear readers (huffs)**

**Rena: That's great.**

**Me: You don't sound so enthusiastic – This chapter's mostly about you and Isuzu!**

**Rena: (scoff) What's so great about that fact of the matter? **

**Isuzu: I was thinking the exact same thing. (glares at Rena)**

**Me: Lol get along in the trailer you two. Save it for the actual chapter.**

**Isuzu/Rena: (turns away) Humph.**

**Me: Ah yes, you two will be fine friends one day.**

**Isuzu: Not even in your dreams, kid.**

**Me: Well, if we get technical about this, I CAN make it happen, since I AM the AUTHORESS of this story ;)**

**Isuzu: Whatever.**

**Rena: Hey, O Mighty Authoress Person, start the chapter will you?**

**Me: Fine, fine. I own nothing but my characters and this story!**

Chapter Thirty Six

"Tea? You know me well enough to know that I didn't come here to chitchat over a damn cup of tea and eat croissants, you prissy little girly princess!" Isuzu snarled.

"Isuzu, that's no way to speak to Tsujitani-san. I don't need you causing trouble for me. If you can't control your anger, then I ask that you get out. Leave. We don't need you here." Yuki said firmly.

"Shut up! What do you know? Who the hell are you to order me around? All you are is Akito's play thing! His cowardly tool!" Isuzu retorted.

"Isuzu, what has you so mad? Why are you pissed off? And why are you directing it at Rena? Why did she do to you?" Momiji demanded.

"You shut up too! Did I ask you to speak to me? Did I?!" Isuzu harshly spat. "No, but I won't let you just barge into here and talk to my sister any ole way you please." Momiji replied.

"_Sister_? Ha. I don't even understand how any of you can love that… _Thing_." Isuzu looked hatefully at the light hime.

"Don't insult her! Just because you're angry and bitter doesn't mean you have the right to take it out on her!" Momiji yelled, obviously becoming impatient with Isuzu.

"Listen you little piece of shit, I – " Isuzu tried to come near Momiji, but Rena held out her hand and called out, "Light Bindation!" and a blinding light surrounding the angry horse, the light forming bright shackles and keeping Isuzu in place.

"Release me you bitch!" Isuzu struggled with the shackles that bound her with great determination. "Yuki… Tohru… Momiji… Please leave the room at once. There is something… Isuzu-chan would like to discuss with me." Rena looked at the wild horse.

"Are you sure you'll be okay in here with her by yourself? She's REALLY angry. I mean, you had to bind her to prevent her from hurting Momiji." Yuki pointed out.

"I'll be fine, I promise. Nothing bad will happen to me. I will be okay. So please, leave Isuzu to me. I need to talk to her in private, anyway." Rena replied. "Just hurry up and go. It isn't safe for you guys to be around while she's here. Let her cool off."

"…Alright, Tsujitani-san. Call us if you need anything. Or if she becomes too much of a handful for you." Yuki nodded, motioning to the onigiri, and the Rabbit. Reluctantly, the three left the room, the door closing behind them.

"Isuzu-chan… How did you receive your memories of me? Of the Destined Future? Hatori-nii, Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, Momiji-kun, Hatsuharu-kun and I didn't give them to you, so then… Who did?" Rena inquired.

"I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you, bitch!" Isuzu barked. "Ah… Such pointless anger… You're always… _Always_ resented me, Isuzu-chan… Haven't you?" Rena smiled to herself.

"Like hell I have! I always have and I always will!" Isuzu sneered. "If that is how you feel… Then… I don't have _time_ to put up your arrogance. Just because _you're_ pissed off doesn't give you the right to take it out on _me_." Rena scoffed.

Isuzu walked up to Rena and swung her arm, sending the food Tohru and Yuki had made her flying across the room.

"Then _make_ time. And yeah, I am pissed. And it's _all your fault_!" Isuzu retorted. "So I'll let my anger out on you, whore!"

Oh? A whore, am I now? Isuzu-chan?" Rena laughed to herself. "Stop laughing, you piece of shit! You're a fuckin' _whore_! A dirty, filthy, rotten whore! All you are… is a piece of shit! That's all you are, dammit! So then _why_… Why did everyone think you're so damn perfect? Why?!"

"And what, pray tell, makes me a 'dirty, filthy, rotten whore' and a 'piece of shit'?" Rena demanded. "What reasons or proof do you have? Why do you hate me so much? What are you motives?"

"I hate you because I do! I have no reason to explain myself to a whore!" Isuzu snapped. "Isuzu-chan… Remember the first time we met? It was… You who was sick and myself who was healthy. It was me coming to see you… Not the other way around. And it was me trying to be your friend… Not you trying making me your sworn enemy." Rena whispered.

"Even before you met me, Isuzu-chan… You _detested_ me. Even when I offered my friendship and blessings to you… You looked at me with eyes full of pure hatred."

**~Beginning of Flashback~ (Five years ago)**

"Rena-hime… Do you want to come with me on a trip?" Hatsuharu asked the young light hime as he walked up to her. "Eh? Go with you where?" Rena raised a curious eyebrow.

"Hatori-san, Ayame-san, and Sensei won't be back for awhile, and they left me in charge of you once again. I would like to go somewhere, but only if you don't mind giving to be dragged along." Hatsuharu explained.

"Oh. It's fine with me. I don't mind at all – going somewhere is MUCH better than staying her and doing nothing!" Rena responded. "Good… Then follow me." Hatsuharu took Rena's, walking out of her palace within the Supreme Kingdom with her.

"When are we going to get there, Hatsuharu?" Rena asked the Ox. "Not for a while, but it's not too long of a walk, so don't worry about it." Hatsuharu replied.

"Oh… Well… Where are we going then?"

"To the hospital."

"EH?! Are you sick?!"

"No. But an… Extremely close friend of mine… She's really, really sick."

"How sick are we talking?"

"Sick enough that she's slowly dying and there's not much they can do to save her, quote the doctors who take care of her."

"Oh my goodness… I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay. She's getting a little better."

"Who is this friend of yours?"

"Rin."

"Eh?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. You probably don't know her by her nickname. You might know her by the name of Isuzu Sohma."

"…Ah! Yah, I've heard of her before!"

"So you mean… You've never met Rin before?"

"No. She's the only member in the Juunishi that I haven't met. I guess Kureno-san counts, since I've caught a glimpse of him before."

"Well, today's you're lucky day, Rena-hime, because you're about to meet Rin. Be prepared. She's… Wild."

"Oh joy…"

-----------------------------

"May we please go in to see Rin?" Hatsuharu asked the nurse. "Ah! You're back! Man, you come _every day_ to see that little girl, don't you? You must be worried a lot about your cousin… Ah! And you've brought a friend?" The nurse walked towards Rena.

"Hi! My name's Rena Tsujitani! How do you do?" Rena tilted her head to the side and clasped her hands, smiling innocently and irresistibly adorably.

"…Is that_** you**_, T-Tsujitani-hime! F-Forgive me for not recognizing you at first! You've grown so much! Kawaii! Small Lady, is this young boy here your escort?" The nurse asked.

Rena nodded. "Hai. This is one of my best friends – Hatsuharu Sohma. He's kinda like my body guard. He's _**REALLY**_ STRONG. We're here to see Isuzu Sohma." Rena informed the woman.

"Come right along then, Small Lady! We'll more than gladly take you to see your friend's cousin immediately!" The nurse turned down the hall. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Ane-san." Rena curtsied. "C'mon, Hatsu!" Rena took Hatsuharu's hand and ran after the nurse.

"Now I warn you, Princess, that Isuzu girl is extremely feisty. She gets a little mean and nasty sometimes. If she causes you any trouble, just tell us. We'll straighten her right out for you, okay?" The nurse told Rena.

"O-Oh, that won't be necessary, haha…" Rena sweat dropped. "She's a sick patient, not an inmate." "Come on, Rena." Hatsuharu opened the door, walking in. Rena followed close behind the Ox.

"Rin? Rin, are you awake?" Hatsuharu stopped beside of Rin, at the side of her bed. The Horse groaned and turned in her sleep, opening her eyes weakly.

"Rin, it's me, Haru. How are you feeling?" Hatsuharu asked his distant cousin. "H… Haru?" Isuzu croaked. "Save your energy. I just came by to say hi and talk to you for a bit." Hatsuharu sat down beside of Isuzu, stroking her hair.

"_Even as sick as she is, she's really pretty… I really hope this girl gets better…"_ Rena thought_. "I don't want her to die. She and Haru seem to be so close…"_

"Who is that?" Isuzu demanded, sitting up a little to get a better look at Rena. "Eh?! Oh, um, my name's Rena Tsujitani. You may or may not have heard of me… I'm the Supreme Princess of the World." Rena introduced herself.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Isuzu-san."

"That's the girl I've been telling you about, Rin. The one I have to protect so that I can earn money to make sure they keep you in the hospital with good treatments until you're well again." Hatsuharu explained.

"She's also a friend of the family's I assume you've heard of the Tsujitani Curse before, right?"

Isuzu nodded, her eyes still fixed on and staring in Rena's direction. "Isuzu-chan… Let's be friends." Rena held her hand out to Isuzu.

Isuzu slapped Rena's hand away, anger flickering in her eyes. The feisty, ill wild horse shot Rena a glare of pure hate and disgust, looking almost as if she wanted to kill the Princess of Light.

"_Eh… W… Why is she looking at me with pure hate in her eyes?... What did I ever do to her?... What's her problem?"_ Rena wondered as she took a few steps back and drew back her hand.

"Don't call me 'Isuzu-chan'… Like I'm your friend. I will _never_ be your friend. I _hate_ you. You despicable insufferable creature." Isuzu growled.

"I will _always_ hate you, forever more. _Princess_."

**-End of Flashback-**

"You certainly did keep your word, that you did." Rena laughed dryly. "Oh, Isuzu-san… I've always tried to get along with you. I've always admired you. _Always_. But you just won't accept my friendship. Why do you insist on being this way? Why do you insist on hating me?"

"…Since the day I was born, I had been lonely. Even when I was with my parents, who could actually make me smile, I was still very lonely somewhere in my heart." Isuzu began softly.

"On top of that, Akito ever liked me, just as he doesn't in this era. Even when I was young, he detested me, and would say horrible things to me. And I was usually separate from most of the other Juunishi members."

"I was so very lonely… But that was until Haru came along. As little kids, we'd play together, and he'd make me really, really happy. I was so _happy_ when I was with Haru. I was _alive._ I _loved_ him."

"When I was young, everything was like a happy play with my family. But I asked one wrong question… About why they were always so happy and if anything ever made them sad… And the whole play came to an end, just like that."

"In the end, they told me they didn't really want me. I was nine years old, and I got really sick. I was diagnosed with a fatal disease. But my parents did come and visit me, once."

"I had been trying to go home to them. But my mother told me it was okay. That they didn't really want me to come back home. And that they didn't know how to love me anymore."

"I felt like such a bad person… But that was when Haru spoke up for me, and demanded that they apologized to me… Telling my mother that she was the bad one, and not me."

"That was the last time I saw of my parents. They stopped visiting. But Haru came and visited me all the time, which made me so happy. It was okay if my parents left me behind… Because I still had Haru. Haru was the only thing I needed – As long as I had him, everything else could go straight to hell."  
"A year later, my parents stopped paying for the bills. They cut off from me completely, and forget about me. I was in jeopardy of dying. So Haru, even though he was only eight years old, insisted on finding a way to raise money for me, even though I said he didn't have to."

"As long as I died in Haru's arms… As long as he was the last thing I saw… The last thing I heard…The last thing I touched, felt, and smelled… I would be happy. As long as it was him."

"Yes… And that was when he came to my Palace, and asked to be my bodyguard. He had heard that I needed one, and took up on the offer. The pay was _unbelievably_ well, might I add. At first, I thought he was just a joke. He was no older than myself, and a runt, at that." Rena whispered.

"But he proved his strength, when it came down to it. He was _incredibly_ skilled. The best warrior I had ever seen. And that's when Ayame made a deal with him. He, Shii-chan, and Hatori would pay for your bills as long as he did his job and protected me."

"But, if he failed to protect me, then they would leave you to die, which motivated Hatsu to train hard, and he was at my side often, guarding me. I hardly remember a time when I wasn't with Hatsu, except for placing like the bathroom and my bedroom and when I slept and stuff."

"Hatori, who has the power of the Legendary Dragon, gave the Naginata of Densetsu to Hatsuharu, taught him how to wield it, and taught him how to control and use the powers of the Legendary Dragon."

"He would train along with Uotani-san, Hanajima-san. And Momiji-kun. Ayame, Shire, and Hatori would show them how to use their powers."

"Hatori has the powers of the Legendary Dragon and of Time, therefore, he was Momiji and Hatsuharu's sensei. Ayame had the powers of Lightning and Ice, so he was Uotani-san and Hanajima-san's sensei. Kazuma-sensei, who was a priest and a martial arts teachers, would teach them archery and how to use their priestess powers. Kazuma, Ayame, Hatori, and Shire worked with everyone in the filed of fighting and actually battle."

"Shire had many powers. Some would call them powers we possessed other than the ones we used to fight with. For example, mine is magic, Akito's in psychic, Kyo's is teleportation, Yuki's is telepathy and telekinesis, Tohru's is healing, Kagura's is incredible strength, Momiji's is geokinesis (control of plants and earth), and Hatsu's is magnokinesis (control of metals and putting up magnetic fields)."

"Shire had telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, geokinesis, and magnokinesis. He trained with us all equally. Hatsu began to rain with all of us too, and stayed by my side more and more as he grew stronger." Rena told Isuzu."

"Exactly! You already had your friends! You were always all over Momiji… All over Akito… All over Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori… And soon enough, you were all over Haru, too! You're no better than a whore!" Isuzu snarled.

"Heh. I was… Always with Momiji, Ayame, Hatori, and Shire… Always listening to Akito… Always friends with Haru… But that's not what makes one a whore. Especially since Momiji and the mabudachi trio were merely like big brothers to me, Akito is my owner, and Hatsuharu is my friend and protector." Rena looked at Isuzu.

"If you ask _me_, Isuzu-san… I finally get it… You were _jealous_ of me… Weren't you? Everyone liked me better. Everyone got along with me better. Even Hatsu. And that made you unbearable _lonely_… Didn't it?"

"…He was _always_ with _you…_ Protecting _you_… Laughing with _you_… Being with _you…_ It was all too much! Haru was hardly able to see me anymore! He was so wrapped up with you and protecting the Chosen One shit!" Isuzu murmured.

"He came to see me less and less. And that's when… Akito decided to come and see me more and more. To say horrible thing to me. To make sure I stayed sick. To _torture_ me."

"I was so damn _lonely…_ And _scared_… And so fucking _bitter_. No one cared about me! No one! And it was all YOUR FAULT! You took Haru away from me! Why! Why did you have to take HIM, of all people?! Why?!?!" Isuzu yelled at Rena, furious now.

"…Isuzu-san… I'm… Sorry. So very sorry… I never thought about how Hatsu always being with me… Always protecting me… Would make you feel. I never, not ever once, realized that you might be lonely or scared." Rena apologized.

"When Hatsu could only see you a few times a month, being how busy he was… And when Akito wasn't bothering me… All those times… That must have been when he came to see you."

"Yes, there was nothing Akito could do physically to hurt you. But he could do things to destroy and tear you down – mentally and emotionally. I can only imagine the kinds of horrible words he said to you."

"He kept both your body and your spirit weak. He made sure you stayed sick, and filled your heart with dread. He… He wouldn't have been able to hurt you so badly if Haru would've been able to be with you more."

"I… I understand now… Why you hate me. Those feelings of dread, pain, jealousy, bitterness, anger and fear… Were caused only because I 'took' Haru away from you."

"You needed someone to blame, and it was easy turning all of those intense feelings into hatred for me, wasn't it, Isuzu-san?""

"But Isuzu-san… All along… You were never truly alone. Hatsu was always there, protecting you, watching over you, from a distance. He loves you and cares for you more than anyone else. He'd spend those entire days with you, the few days he could a month. Sometimes in the dead of the night, he'd sneak off and watch you while you slept. As long as he could be near you, it didn't matter to him whether you were awake or asleep."

"He tried his best to protect me… Trained his hardest… And gave every battle everything he had. For _your_ sake, Isuzu-san. He talks about you and thinks about you all the time."

"I know you may not believe me, but… Everything that I have said is the truth. Even if you never believe a single word I say again… Please believe what I have told you today, and at least that alone."

"Hatsuharu loves you. He would do anything for you. And you mean the most to him, out of everyone in the entire world. That is the _honest_ and _unshakable_ truth. Whether you choose to accept it or not." Rena finished.

"Y… You… Don't talk like you know so much! You don't know a _damn thing_!" Isuzu snapped, clenching her fists. "Don't talk like you know me, because you don't! Don't talk so damn superior, like you know all the solutions to everyone's problems! You don't!"

"Just because you're – "

"I do know this, Isuzu-san… All those years ago, when you slapped my hand away and looked at me with pure hatred… I failed to see a lonely, scared little girl begging me not to take the only person who truly loved and cared about her. And for that, I apologize once more. My _deepest, most sincere_ apologizes." Rena bowed.

"And… I figured it out. The only other person who could've given you your memories of the Destined Future… Would be Akito. Isuzu-san… Did Akito hurt you? Again?"

"Akito hates me. He despises me. He _loathes_ me. So then why would he let me off unharmed? Knowing this, why do you even have to ask? Even an idiot would know the answer to that question." Isuzu retorted.

"I see…" Rena trailed off. "Don't you have something better to do? Like prepare them for that battle thing they'll be involved in? It's the evening. The sun will set in no time. You don't have much time left." Isuzu walked towards the window.

"Isuzu-chan, wait! Hatsu… He'll really want to see you! Won't you wait and talk to him for just a few minutes? I bet he misses you just as much as you miss him." Rena pointed out to the Horse of the Juunishi.

"…Rena?"

"Yes?"

"You… Still don't have the right to call me 'Isuzu-chan' like I'm your friend. I will _never_ be your friend. Got that?"

"Hai, Isuzu-san."

And with that, Isuzu opened the second story window and carefully jumped out of it, landing roughly but firm, and ran off.

"I haven't had any time to show Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, or Kagura how to use or master their powers. Hopefully, this battle will be a good demonstration to them. Afterwards… We will have no choice but to start their training immediately."

"But tomorrow's Monday, and that's when it's time for the field trip. They're going to have to skip a few days of school after tomorrow, I suppose… Damn, this is coming on them all too fast… I hope we have enough time left… Before the day of the Final Battle."

"They must train hard. I hope I can convince them to train their hardest and follow my every direction… Especially Kyo-kun…"

**Me: Ah, finally! It's about time I post something up xD**

**SWD: Yeah, it's been like, forever.**

**Me: Well, there you have it! Da-da-da-daaah! Chapter 36!**

**SWD: Read and review please.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Me: Alrighty, time to start another chapter of Dark Secrets!**

**Rena: Sheesh. You're story isn't giving us much of a happy vibe at the moment.**

**Me: It will, it will. Just have to get over this whole Tsujitani Massacre Battle thing. Afterwards, there will be lots and lots of fluff between Kyo and Tohru and other pairings on the field trip you are all so anxiously waiting for! XD**

**Rena: How… Interesting…**

**Me: Flying Pot-kun will be there ;). **

**Rena: (blush) Shut up, will ya?**

**Me: Will do. Roll 'em!**

**Rena: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but this story and her characters.**

Chapter Thirty Seven

Hatsuharu walked out of the guest room and looked at his wrist watch. "It's seven forty-five already… Only about six more hours until our battle into the Destined Future…" He trailed off.

"Man… I hate these battles… So annoying. But this is the Seventh Anniversary of the Tsujitani Family Massacre, so this should be the very last one of these battles. Until the Big One, anyway."

"If we defeat the Dark Lord and the Guardian of Darkness during that battle… And if Tohru takes Rena's life… Then the world will be safe, and no more battles. As long as Rena is used as out sacrifice…"

"When I think about it this way… Rena really doesn't have much time left to live. At most, a month. Probably even less than that. Time's running out for her, and fast. Not to mention she's already seen the Angel of Death once, and probably will again soon…"

"Haru, Haru!" Momiji ran up to the Ox of the Juunishi, charging down the hall towards him. "Rin was here! Rin was here just a few minutes ago!"

"Huh? Rin… She was _here_, of all places? In this house?" Hatsuharu repeated, almost as though his brain hadn't quite registered it yet.

"Yeah! She was really mad about something and in a god-awful mood. Rena-chan made Tohru, Yuki, and I leave her and Rin alone in her and Tohru's bedroom so that the two of them could 'talk'. Though Rin didn't seem like she was in much of a talking mood – Rena had to us her powers to stop Rin from lunging at me. And she was getting really mean with Yuki."

"As far as we know, nothing really happened in there when they were alone together. I mean, when we returned to Rena-chan. She was lying down and Rin was gone. I wonder what had made Rin so angry… Not that she isn't usually angry… But still."

"…I see… Well… Where's Kyo? And Kagura-nee? I haven't seen them all day." Hatsuharu asked Momiji, temporarily changing the subject. "We can discuss Rin's behavior later."

"Kyo left earlier today. He was gone before Rin even got here. I think he's out on a walk or something, not sure. And Kagura-nee went home for a while maybe an hour ago. Maybe to talk to Rin, not sure about that either." Momiji answered.

"Alright then. I'll go get Kagura-nee, Uotani, and Hanajima before midnight. I'm sure Kyo will be back soon enough. Did Rena go out as well?"

"Yeah. She said she was sick of being stuffed up in this place, and went out with Ayame to get some fresh air. They're driving, but Rena-chan said they'd go on a short walk together, too."

"Ah."

"Do… Do you think Kyo is still mad about the Inami and the Cat thing? I mean… He should be mad in a way… I wouldn't be very happy either. I wouldn't know what to think – My animal spirit would have taken over by then. But I don't want Kyo to stay mad at Rena-chan."

"Yeah… He probably still is mad. Kyo is one person who knows how to hold a grudge. A long, hard grudge."

"I hope he forgives her. I can't say I blame him for being upset… But he has to realize… She isn't Inami. I think Rena-chan should apologize too… For not telling Kyo, because it obviously upset him. When you upset people, you should apologize, and try to make it up to them."

"I also agree."

"I hope Kyo can forgive her before it's her time… I don't want her to leave us will unfinished business or a feeling of sadness."

"…For Rena's sake… We'll have to be strong about it, when she's gone. _Especially_ you and Ayame, because we know the two of you will take it the hardest. You don't want her to die with regrets, do you?"

"No…"

"Good. Get yourself ready and be useful of something. Tonight's battle won't be an easy one."

"This will be the first time we fight Akito, though. You do realize…"

"Yes, I know. And this is the first time Akito's ever involved himself in one of these battles. I wonder why…"

"Is he… Is he going to summon an – "

"Don't even think about that. Let's just hope he's not going to. And then there's Yuki, Tohru, Kyo, and Kagura, who don't know how to use their powers yet…"

"Rena-chan really has her hands full. That Dark Collusion came at the rottenest of times. I just hope those four will be okay…"

"Ayame, Shire, and Hatori will be joining the batter as well. So its me, you, Rena, Uotani, Hanajima, Ayame, Hatori, and Shire." Eight against two and an unlimited amount of probably level 12 akuryous."

"If only Kyo, Yuki, Kagura-nee, and Tohru had their powers… We'd be at more of an advantage… Either way, we're horribly outnumbered. What about… What about Rin? She'd… She'd be really useful."

Hatsuharu glared a dark, cold glare at Momiji, almost as if he was in the midst of going Black Haru. Before Hatsuharu could say anything to the Rabbit of the Juunishi –

"Momiji-kun? Where did you go?"

"Ah… I've got to run. Tohru needs me. Talk to you later, Haru." Momiji let out a small sigh of relief before waving back at Haru and slipping away, walking downstairs. **(Saved by the bell lol)**

"Hmmm… I've got the feeling I'll be feeling pain tomorrow morning after this battle…" Hatsuharu sighed, walking back into the guest room. "Hatori-nii, why exactly are we going to fight tonight of all nights? I mean, with Akito. He never shows for these things, and the battles aren't usually that hard. Just something to do. Almost like a game, usually."

Hatsuharu sat down on the bed and watched the Dragon of the Juunishi, who was sitting at the desk writing out something similar to battle strategies. "As you may already know, ever since a few months ago, a little bit before Kyo-tono, Yuki-tono, Kagura-hime, and Tohru-hime were killed, Akito started revealing that her was our true enemy, not the akuryous." Hatori began.

"Before Rena-hime ran away to this era, she was told by Akito 'On he date of the Seventh Anniversary of the Tsujitani Village Massacre, a few months from now, gather your army and prepare to battle me at Midnight. Do not worry the location. Just be prepared. I will come to you.'."

"So Akito arranged for this whole thing… Well, I guess this will give us the chance to analysis our enemy, see firsthand what we're up against, and measure how much our enemy has grown in strength and skill." Hatsuharu laid down across the bed.

"I hear Ayame and Rena went out on a walk, but where's Sensei?"

"Shire's in Shigure's room. They're 'bonding'. Idiots." Hatori answered, continuing to scribble words down onto papers as he pushed up his working glasses on his face, concentrating hard.

Hatori turned from his desk for a moment to look at Hatsuharu. "Seeing you and Rena will be leading this battle, how will the two of you be going about it?"

"I will be going after that damned Itachi, no matter what. And Rena will probably go straight for Akito. Seeing Shire and Momiji aren't much of the fighting type, they will be our defense." Hatsuharu began to inform the Dragon of the Juunishi.

"Their powers are incredibly strong, and combined, we should have easy defense, especially if I myself put up a magnetic barrier. Or if you also put up a barrier, but we'd need to keep them protected. You, Ayame, Hanajima and Uotani will have to take care of the akuryous yourselves for awhile. Rena and I will back you up, if necessary."

"Shire and Momiji will try to keep Yuki, Tohru, Kagura and Kyo safe and alive, along with battling as well, if they must. And seeing Tohru's powerless, Rena will be in charge of returning stamina and healing while fighting."

"Not having Yuki, Kyo, Kagura and Tohru with the ability to fight puts a big gap in our power, both offense and defense wise. Our powers are reduced by more than half, and the defense, stamina, and healing protection is dangerously low…" Hatori trailed off.

"It'll be tough, but I think we can make it. I hope so, anyway. Akito and Itachi are bound to be stronger now than before… Man, I'm gonna feel pain and bruises in the morning… _**BIG**_ bruises…" Hatsuharu sighed.

"I hope Rena's feeling better and her powers regenerated. You and her are our main source of power, and if something was to happen to either of you… Especially if we encounter a Grande Omega…" Hatori stopped.

"Don't even go into that. Don't jinx us. If we encounter a Grande Omega, we're in shit. We're going to DIE. And I'm not ready to die yet. Either way, I'll be damned if I'm going to just give up without putting up a single fight, even if we DO go face to face with a Grande Omega." Hatsuharu retorted.

"Yes… You are right. Forgive me. This is war. It's life or death. Fight or die. Conquer, or be conquered." Hatori turned back to his work. _"And right now... It seems like we're going to be conquered and die." _He thought grimly.

"_There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It's a battle to the death. A losing battle from the very beginning. Just like that battle in the Destined Future… Where everyone died."_

-------------------------------

"_I've been walking for hours, and I'm worn out… My feet hurt… But I've had a lot of time to think long and hard. For Tohru's sake, and for her sake alone."_ Kyo thought, walking back to Shigure's house.

"_Rena… Isn't that Inami woman. I know that. Just like I'm not that Cat of the Juunishi. But my spirit just became so __**angry**__ and __**frustrated**__ to know that the woman who cursed it… Cursed __**me**__… Was Rena's direct carnation, the carnation of the __**very woman**__ living under the __**same roof**__ as me."_

"_To know that sort of woman is one with Rena… Her blood running through Rena's veins… Their minds, hearts, and souls linked… It was… Too much. Too… __**Discomforting**__. And for Rena to try to __**hide**__ it from me… Made me irritated the more and more I thought about it."_

"_I can't say I blame her. I understand why Rena did what she did. She didn't tell me… Because she was afraid of what I might do, of how I might react. She was afraid of me hating her… Just as Tohru said."_

"_I know what those feelings of desperation and despair are like… Wishing with all your heart that someone won't hate you because of something that happened in the past… I'm doing the same exact thing… To Tohru."_

" _If she knew that I knew her mother, Kyoko-san… And that I __**let**__ her die… That I could've saved her, but I didn't want to expose my curse with so many witnesses… What would she say? What would she do? Would she begin to hate me? Would she be mad? Yeah, I guess she would be."_

"_I can relate to Rena, at least with that. I don't want Tohru to hate me… So I'm keeping it a secret for now. Just as Rena tried to keep the Inami and the Cat thing a secret from me. Only… Rena didn't do anything."_

"_Rena doesn't have any control over an event that happened over 3,000 years before she was born, like that damned Yuki said. She had no say in Inami cursing that Cat. But I had some sort of control over Kyoko's death. So there's a difference."_

"_In the end… I'll have to tell Tohru, just like Rena had to tell me. I still am upset… I __**should be**__ upset… But I shouldn't hold her accountable and blame her for it. She didn't do it, and had no part in it. No matter how annoying or weird Rena can be, she just wouldn't do something so horrible. She's… A good kid."_

"_Being Inami's direct reincarnation wasn't an option for her. Just like being the Cat wasn't an option for me. Maybe if I can get along with Rena… If we become better friends… Then one day the Cat's spirit will forgive Inami, and be at peace."_

Kyo walked onto the front porch and knocked on the front door. "Ah, Kyo-kun! You're finally home! Welcome back!" Tohru answered the door, smiling at Kyo happily.

"_I can find the strength to overcome these feelings of bitterness in my heart that do not belong to me, and forgive Rena… So that the Cat can forgive Inami. All because of you, Tohru, I'd do anything for you, no matter how many times, just to see you smile."_

"Hey." Kyo smiled back at the onigiri, ruffling her hair. "I'm making dinner, Kyo-kun! Momiji-kun and Hatsuharu-kun kept talking about a big battle tonight, so I prepared a big feast with Yuki-san and Momiji-kun's help! And I'm inviting Uo-chan, Hana-chan and Kagura-chan over for dinner, too!: Tohru informed.

"Is that so? Well, what are we having for dinner?"

"Yakitori, tempura, oden, shogayaki, rice, and soumen!"

**(Yakitori – bite-sized pieces of marinated chicken grilled on skewers**

**Tempura – seafood and vegetables dipped in batter and deep friend**

**Oden – Boiled tofu, eggs, fish, and vegetables cooked in a broth for a long time**

**Soumen – Noodles)**

"Sounds like you've been slaving in the kitchen all day. Especially if you made enough of that stuff for like, fifteen people to eat. You really didn't need to go out of your way to do all of that." Kyo insisted.

"Oh, but it was so much fun! Momiji-kun and Yuki-kun helped me, and I taught them a few recipes! I forgot to run out to the store to get something else to drink, sorry, so we'll be having lots of tea, any tea of your choice – Iced, sweet, hot, green, you name it, we have it!" Tohru added.

"Dinner's almost done, so I'm going to get everything ready! See you at dinner, Kyo-kun! I hope you like everything!" Tohru turned to walk away.

Kyo grabbed Tohru's hand and pulled her back to him. "You… Don't over exert yourself for no reason. You don't have to try so hard to please people all the time. I'm willing to bet you're _exhausted_."

"I just wanted to make something special for a special night. I wish I could've gone with Rena-chan and Ayame-san to her family's graves. Or… Where they would be 1,000 years from now. I wonder if they brought any flowers…" Tohru trailed off.

"Why would they? There aren't any graves there. Where did they go anyway?"

"Um… To the park near Isuzu-chan's high school, I think… Are you going to pay your respects or something?"

"Something like that. I'll be back in time for dinner." Kyo opened the door "Please don't be late, Kyo-kun! Bring Rena-chan and Ayame-san back with you for dinner, too. Hatsuharu-kun left a little bit ago to get Kagura-chan, Uo-chan and Hana-chan. I'll see you when you get back! Tohru closed the door after the Cat of the Juunishi.

"_After all that hard work you put into that meal, you dummy, __**trust**__ me… I wouldn't miss it for the world." _Kyo thought, running. _"So I'll make this quick, and __**drag**__ Rena and Ayame back with me if I have to."_

-----------------------------

"It's a little cold out here… Colder than I had expected it to be. And it's getting dark fast." Rena looked up at the dark blue sky. She was wearing a think black jacket over her tight red elbow-length sleeve shirt, fitting dark blue jeans, and black heels.

Ayame was with her, wearing a long black coat that came down to his ankles and was buttoned up, black loafers, and his long silver hair held back in a ponytail by a black ribbon.

"Here. I'll keep you warm, love." Ayame wrapped his arms around Rena from behind her, leaning his head on top of hers. 'So… In over 1,000 years from now… In the Destined Future… This is where the Tsujitani Village will be both founded and slaughtered…"

"Yes… This place plays a fresh, painful flashback of it again in my mind… I… I miss Onii-sama, Ame-nii. I miss Ryo. So very badly. He died way too young… And I hear my mother did, as well. My father, too. And all of the villagers…"Rena shoved her fists in her pockets.

"I… I wasn't able to protect _any_ of them. Father, Mother, Ryo, and all those innocent people who died because of **me**, because** I **was born. Dammit… Out of all the people in the world… Why did Akito have to go and kill Ryo?!" Rena's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sure your brother wouldn't want her darling little sister to cry on his behalf. And besides… You're even cuter when you smile, Rena-chan." Ayame wiped at Rena's tears.

"I know I shouldn't cry… It isn't the honorable thing to do… But I hate being this **weak**. Most **everyone** who gets involved with me… Ends up **dead**. But I won't let Akito take anymore lives with his Darkness of akuryous!" Rena turned in Ayame's arms and hugged him.

"Ayame… I know I don't have much time left. So I just want you to know that I love you… Otou-san. You're the best Dad ever. And when I die… Please don't suffer or be sad. Don't cry. Smile, and be happy. Okay?"

"Heh. If I lose you, my dear daughter, Rena-chan… Then I will also lose a great deal of happiness. I will **always** be sad, somewhere in my heart. And I can't say I won't cry, because I know when I lose you, I **will**, and won't be able to smile or doing anything with myself for a long, **long** time." Ayame stroked Rena's hair.

"You showed me how to smile, Rena-chan. You changed me for the better. You're the reason I am who I am today, the good Ayame standing before you. Not the arrogant, selfish, conceited Ayame who thought of only himself and didn't even try to understand how his words and actions hurt other, with that condescending attitude."

"You made me see what was important in life, and I changed for you. And I **love** you. Which is why I'll miss you **terribly**. I can't even **begin** to imagine life without you."

"Ha. Look at us. We should stop wasting out time being sad when we could be happy instead. I'm sure… That's what Ryo would have wanted." Rena smiled the best she could, slightly forcing it, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"And besides… _You_ look much cuter when _you_ smile, Ame-nii."

Ayame smiled back, faintly.

"Wow. It's eight o'clock already. And it's pretty dark out here. Only a matter of time bow before it's time for that battle…" Rena trailed off. "You're worried about the outcome, too, aren't you?" Ayame asked.

"Well, naturally. I'd have to be insane not to. We're not nearly as strong as before, you know, and Hatsu and I aren't the best at battle strategies. That was always Yuki and Kyo's department. And what if something happens to one of us? Plus, we're down four fighters, which effects a lot."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll be able to pull through somehow. And I'm sure there's a way to defeat Akito and Itachi and stop the World's Demise without sacrificing yourself."

"…I only wish that there was… But there's no need to worry about that right now. What we need to worry about is tonight's battle. I think I will be of use tonight. I feel much better now, And besides… We're ready for a little revenge. Me and Inami both."

Rena's eyes flicked back and forth between black and white, a small smile tugging at her lips.

-----------------------

"It's taking longer than I thought it would to get to Kagura-nee's house… I guess I really haven't been over there in a long time, after all.." Hatsuharu pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, dialing a number.

He continued to walk as he listened to the phone ring, waiting for someone to pick up and answer his call.

"…Hello? Yeah, is this Uotani? Hm? You and Hanajima are practicing? That's good to hear. We'll need to do as much as possible to prepare." Hatsuharu began talking into his dark blue razor cell phone.

"Tohru, Momiji and Yuki have been cooking all day. They made a nice feast to replenish everyone's strength. I was told to come and get the two of you, but it's taking longer than I thought it would, so I'm calling you guys to tell you to start heading over there without me."

"Do you guys mind? You'll be okay… Won't you?... Ha, I guess you're right, Uotani. Well. Bring everything you'll need tonight and tomorrow with you. Once you walk out that door, there will be no turning back."

"…No, I don't know if Rin will come or not. Do I want for her to fight? No, I forbade it. I know she'd help out immensely and she can fight and all, but… I don't want her to get hurt. She's already sickly."

".,.Hmmm. Maybe you're right. Well, see you there, Uotani. Bye."

Hatsuharu hung up the phone, stopping in front of Kagura's house. "Hatsuharu-kun!!! I saw you coming down the driveway, so I came out running out to greet you!" Kagura ran towards the Ox waving.

"Are you ready to go, Kagura0nee? Hatsuharu asked. "…Oh! I need to go back and get my purse! Hold on a moment!" Kagura ran back towards her house. "Kagura-_neeee_…" Hatsuharu groaned, following his older cousin.

"So… How exactly is that thingy with Akito supposed to work out, anyway? That big battle thing you all have been going on about" Kagura inquired as she entered the house with Hatsuharu.

"Oh… _That_… Well… We're not exactly sure at the moment. We're at a GREAT disadvantage. And because you, Kyo, Tohru and Yuki are powerless, we're more towards being on defense than offense."

"Knowing all of that… Why will you not allow for me to fight even still, Hatsuharu? What are you afraid of?"

Wide-eyed, Hatsuharu turned around slowly, recognizing the voice that had just spoken to him. Looking across the room, he met a pair of cold, apathetic, beautiful black eyes.

And then it happened.

He saw a sickly, dying, abandoned young girl wanting and fighting for her life.

He saw a powerful, fierce young woman with the burning desire and determination to break the Sohma Family Curse.

Isuzu Sohma.

"R… Rin?" Hatsuharu blinked. "…Gomen, Hatsuharu-kun, I didn't really come back here for a purse… Rin wanted me to lure you back here so that the two of you could talk. She said that you wouldn't listen to her and didn't want to hear it… So… I can't allow you to leave until the two of you work things out. Whatever it is." Kagura stood at the door, blocking it.

Isuzu's unmoving eyes penetrated Hatsuharu, cold and hard. "Haru… I want revenge for what he did to me. I want revenge for Akito forcing all of this onto me. And I **will** get that revenge, with my own two hands. Whether you approve of my method or **not**."

Isuzu's long trailing black hair wrapped around her, her expression that of a true wild horse. "I won't let anyone get in the way of that. Not even you."

**Me: Another chapter, finally complete!**

**SWD: Whoopee.**

**Me: I want to thank my reviewers (especially my loyal ones – Ya'll know how ya'll are lol) and the band 3OH!3 for providing me with inspiration! You all rock! Could've have gotten this far without ya!**

**SWD: Read and review please.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Me: Sorry for not updating so long everyone. Between marching band, schoolwork, homework, high school life, home life, computer problems and all that good crap I've really had no time (Remember, I'm fourteen). I'm sorry for the long wait, and I'll do my best to be better! **

**Rena: Yeah, you'd better!**

**Me: Oh hush up and start the chapter.**

**Rena: Humph, fine. ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and her story.**

Chapter Thirty Eight

The room was silent. Not one of the three Juunishi members dared to speak. Intense gazes were exchanged from person to person between the trio. It was so quiet, it seemed as though no one was even breathing.

"…Rin…? What happened to you?" Hatsuharu managed to mutter. "How did you get your memories of the Destined Future?" "Memories?" Isuzu snorted mockingly. "The process you call 'giving memories' is actually combining two souls - the souls of one person; their soul from the Destined Future and their soul from Present Time." Isuzu corrected.

"When you mix a person's soul with their soul from another time period, you make a major change in that person, altering all of time - the Past, Present and Future - and you also alter the course of history."

"…I see. So you're saying that instead of giving one their memories… What we're really doing is giving them a Fused Soul?" Hatsuharu inquired. "Yes. Although memories of a different them from a different world is delivered to them, there is much more to it than simply that." Isuzu nodded.

"Then who delivered your Fused Soul to you?" The Ox asked the Horse.

"Who else? Akito, of course. NO matter what the time period is, Akito will always hate me and want me to suffer because of who I am." Isuzu said bitterly. "Akito ambushed me with his army of Akuryous. He painfully forced a Soul Fusion upon me and left me to suffer and die with his Akuryous.

"It was few weeks ago, so most of the wounds have already healed because of my high stamina. But I do bare a long, deep scar across my back that I'll carry for the rest of my life. All thanks to that despicable bastard."

"…I understand that you seek revenge… You have every right to be upset and angry. But Rin, please… Let me get that revenge _for _you. I swear I'll avenge you. I just don't want you to get hurt and I couldn't stand losing you. You mean _the world_ to me. I love you more than anything else."

"_Hatsuharu loves you. He would do anything for you. And you mean the most to him out of everyone. That is the __**honest**__ and __**unshakable**__ truth, whether you decide to face it or not."_

Isuzu flinched before turning away from Hatsuharu, remembering Rena's words. "This is my battle, Haru, not yours. You don't need to fight for me - I can fend for myself." She muttered.

Hatsuharu walked up to Isuzu. "Rin. I heard you came by today. And I heard that you and Rena-hime… Got in a disagreement. Rena-hime really is being sincere, honestly she is." Hatsuharu told Isuzu.

"Stop trying to change the subject!" Isuzu snapped, glaring at the Ox. "Rena just wants to help you, Rin. _I _just want to help you. So _why_ don't you let us help?" Hatsuharu inquired.

"I've always been aware of your hatred for Rena-hime. I've always been aware of the tension between the two of you. But I pretended to never notice it. One, because Rena-hime didn't want me to pay it any mind, and two…"

"Because I thought you knew better than this. Rin, I love you. I don't feel anything at all for Rena-hime. She's my friend, my legal princess of authority. But I do feel guilty… Because if it wasn't for the fact that your life had depended on my being with her…"

"I wouldn't have stayed by Rena-hime's side. I wouldn't have cared. And she knows this. But still, she smiles for me and laughs with me no differently than she would with any other of her true friends."

Hatsuharu took Isuzu's hand and made her look at him. "What I'm trying to say is, Rena is a kind person. She continually reaches her hand out to you, trying to befriend you, trying to help you, no matter what you do or say to her."

"She came to visit you often. She brought gifts and flowers. She even tried to keep you upbeat. But in the end, all she could do was smile at you and try again some other time. Because you rejected her _every singe time_ without fail."

"…Rena is a lot like Tohru. And a lot like you, Haru. You're all kind. Too kind. But in different ways. Rena's the kind of kind… That no matter how many times you hurt, reject or betray her… Even if you purely hate her… Although it may take her time… She will forgive you, and just keep trying. She's… the determined kind of kind." Isuzu murmured.

"She's no Tohru. She may become irritated or upset. But like you and Tohru, she would never abandon a person in need. She would never stop trying to help. She would _let_ people cling to her, just like you and Tohru do."

"Since when was it a crime to cling to people, to let me, Tohru or Rena help you when you are weak and can't stand on your own two feet? Since when was it bad to take the hand of anyone who reaches out to you to help? The question is…" Hatsuharu looked Rin in her eyes.

"Will you continue to use them and never try to stand on your own two feet, or will you continue to cling to them until you take advantage to them to the point where they can no long carry so much on their shoulders and hit their limit?"

At that moment, before Isuzu could respond, Hatsuharu's cell phone rung.

"…Hello?"

"_Hatsuharu? It's me, Rena."_

"… Rena-hime? What is it?"

"_Please be prepared and ready. Ayame is coming down to Kagura's house to come and get you and Kagura. I need the two of you to hurry back to Shigure's home."_

"Hurry back to Sensei's? Why?"

"_Tohru has been cooking all day and made a huge feast for everyone to charge up and have strength for the battle tonight. It would be extremely rude for any of us to be late for dinner tonight, after all the hard work and heart she put into that meal."_

"Alright, Kagura-nee and I will be ready. But I have Rin with me… What do you suppose I do about that?"

"_Just bring her with you. I'm sure she could use a good meal. And even though I would prefer for her to fight with us because we need all the help we can get, I will leave it in your hands to decide her fate tonight. I won't force you to allow her to do something that you find discomforting."_

"…Okay. Will do." Hatsuharu nodded thoughtfully, hanging up on Rena. He turned to face Isuzu. "You might just get your chance at vengeance, after all. Ayame-san will be arriving soon. Let's go."

The corners of Isuzu's mouth could not help but to twitch, resisting a smile of triumph.

**Change in POV**

"Dammit… Why is it so damn cold out here?!?!" Rena cursed under her breath, rubbing her hands together. She pulled her hair back into a long ponytail.

The Light Sorceress was walking to her current home now - she had asked Ayame to go and get the others, needing time and space to think. She attempted to continue thinking of a battle strategy for tonight's battle, but went unsuccessful.

"Ahh… My back… My Symbol of Collusion is aching again…" Rena clutched her back, wincing. A flood of memories that she had tucked away so neatly resurfaced in Rena's mind, causing her immense pain all over again. _Especially _the memories involving her cruel, heartless master.

"Ahhh… Leave me _alone, _Akito… What do you _want_ from me…" She muttered. "I won't lose to someone like you. I _swear_ I won't. I'll defeat you, kill you and restore my family honor!"

"And also for my beloved Kei-chan… So that he can finally rest in peace." She added with a whispered. "You killed everyone that I loved and cared about… So now, I'm going to rip you to _shreds_."

Akito's gruesome, ruthless face came back to her mind. A wicked, evil grin played at his lips. Rena's Symbol of Collusion began to throb in pain. The pain was so excruciating, Rena lost her breath and footing, her legs giving out beneath her.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, owww… Ah, dammit… Why… _Why_, Kami-sama?" Rena clutched her fist, lowering her head in deep shame. "Why… Why am I so _weak_?!"

"Rena. Get up. I need to talk to you."

Rena looked up. A little over a yard away in front of her stood Kyo Sohma. "Kyo-kun… What do you want? I assume you're going to yell at me some more?" Rena half smiled bitterly to herself.

"I guess I do deserve it. Or do you intend to kill me? Ayame's not here to stop you now."

"I'm not here to yell at you or hurt or anything like that. There's no point in any of that. I've been thinking over yesterday all day today. And I talked it over with Tohru and Yuki, too." Kyo began telling Rena.

"I… I'm sorry… If I overreacted. I'm sorry that I tried to hurt you without thinking things through. I understand… That you never asked to be Inami's reincarnation, and that you had no say in The Sohma Family Curse of any other personal curse."

"Even though you took full responsibility for Inami's actions… You aren't her. You didn't do this to the Cat. You didn't do this to the Juunishi. You didn't do this to me. You didn't even do this to _yourself_."

"You're only you, a pawn in this curse. Just like I'm not that Cat from long ago. Just like I didn't ask to be the Cat of the Juunishi. Just like… When I take of these beads… I turn into a hideous monster."

"So, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me, Rena. Because I've forgiven you. I understand… Why you could bring yourself to say anything to me about that to me before. It's… It's okay, I think."

"Kyo-kun…" Rena stood up. "Kyo-kun, I'm sorry for not telling you about this in the beginning. And I'm sorry for making you feel like everyone was against you. I was just so afraid."

"I know. It's okay. Do you forgive me?" Kyo asked. "Of course! I was never upset with you! So we're friends again?" Rena smiled brightly and excitedly. "Yes, yes." Kyo crossed his arms, looking away.

"EH? Kyo-kun… Are you trying not to smile?"

"Keh! Why would I be smiling? More like _grimacing_!"

"You were! You were smiling!"

"Was not!"

"You're happy we're friends again, too, aren't you?!"

"You're annoying."

"Admit it, Kyo-kun! You CARE about me!"

"AS IF."

"YOU DO. YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE TRUTH!"

"STOP BEING SO LOUD SOMEONE MIGHT HEAR YOU AND **THINK** IT'S THE TRUTH!"

"Heh heh! Ahaha! Hehe!" Rena began laughing. "What the _hell_ are you laughing at?" Kyo glared menacingly. "I'm just so - hehe - relieved that Kyo-kun is - Aha! - back to his normal - heh - s-self!" Rena giggled.

"The Kyo-kun that - hehe - put up with me and befriended me - heh heh - even when I was a pain in his ass - aha! - is most precious to me! I love that Kyo-kun!"

"…You're such a stupid girl." Kyo sighed with a small smile. "It's no wonder why you and Tohru are such good friends. You're _both_ so stupid."

"You know you love us, Kyo-kun!" Rena stepped forward to fly at Kyo and hug him, but was stopped when she felt the blade of a sword at her throat, surprising her greatly.

"My, my. That was so heart warming… It makes me want to _vomit_." An icy, harsh voice whispered in Rena's ear. Her capturer's left arm snaked around her waist.

Rena's eyes widened, filled with pure fear. "Akito…" She whispered. "In the flesh." Akito smirked. "You're as pretty as ever… Rena-chan." Akito pressed his lips against the nape of Rena's neck.

A violent tremor ripped through Rena's body. "Akito. You _bastard_. Get the _hell_ away from her." Kyo growled. "Ah ah ah, Kyo. Come a step closer, and I'll slit her throat open." Akito threatened, pressing the sword harder against Rena's neck.

She could feel the sharp blade prick her neck, droplets of blood forming. "Kyo. Go home. Now." Rena whispered. "What? How can you just ask me to - " Kyo was cut off by Rena's powerful exclamation,

"Kyo-kun, go home! Get our forces ready! I'll be okay, I'll be fine! Tell everyone to be on their guard! And protect Tohru at any and all costs!!!"

"…"

"Please, Kyo. You _have_ to go and get things ready. Hatsuharu and Hatori are in charge. I'll be there as soon as I can. Get outta here! Protect them! Protect Tohru!!!"

"…Dammit, Rena. You'd better not get yourself killed!!!" Kyo turned reluctantly, running back to Shigure's house as fast as her could. "I won't, don't worry! Just worry about the operation!" Rena called after him.

"…What do you want, Akito?" Rena narrowed her eyes, finding her voice. "I see the Dark Collusion failed. That damned Ox must have saved you. But that's okay - I'll have my chance to kill you tonight." Akito smirked.

"I'm taking you hostage. If you don't come along willingly, I'll kill my _other_ hostages. And trust me - You _don't_ want that."

"Who are you holding hostage, Akito?! Let them _go_! It's _ME___you want, not them!" Rena snarled. "But that's no fun at _all_, Rena-chan." Akito purred into Rena's ear. "Don't call me Rena-chan like we're friends!" Rena glared.

"Heh. I'll call you whatever the hell I _want_ to call you, bitch. You belong to _me_." Akito sneered.

And then, everything went black.

**Me: And that's all for Chapter Thirty Eight!**

**Rena: Only six pages… How sad…**

**Me: Hey, I'm working on it! I wanted all of the rest to go into the NEXT chapter! They'll get long I promise! At least I'm updating!**

**Rena: No excuses, girl!**

**Me: Oh hush up. All of the drama is building up again! And Kisa, Hiro and Ritsu will be coming in soon!**

**Rena: How interesting.**

**Me: Haha, not for you. I don't think you'll like where the next few chapters are going… ****J**

**Rena: What, what did you do now?!**

**Me: (ignores) Read and review all! ****J**

**Rena: EGP, WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS ARE YOU UP TOO?!?!**

**Me: (cackle) Hehehe, until the next chapter, so long! (vanishes)**

**Rena: …Damn her…**


	39. Chapter 39

**Me: I'm back, everyone!**

**Kyo: Took you long enough.**

**Me: I know, I know. Well, this chapter is long, so let's jump right into it! I hope everyone likes it! (Also, I don't have a spell checker because I only have wordpad now, so excuse any grammar errors!)**

**Kyo: Hopefully. ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but her characters and this story.**

**Me: That's right, sadly enough! Parts of this chapter intertwine with things that happened in the actual manga, so obviously, I don't own those situations and whatnot, either! But if I did... (evil smirk) Heheheheheeee...!!!**

**Kyo: (rolls eyes) Ohhh boyyy...**

Chapter Thirty Nine

"Ah! Kyo-kun! You're finally here! We just started dinner." Tohru smiled, running to greet Kyo as he walked through the front door. "Are you hungry? I cooked _plenty_ enough for everyone!"

"...Tohru, are Uotani, Hanajima, Hatsuharu, Kagura, and Ayame back yet?" The Cat asked the Onigiri. "Eh? Why yes, they are. I was going to ask you if you knew where Rena-chan - Kyo-kun? Is something wrong?" Tohru blinked as she watched Kyo wordlessly walk into the dining room. She followed.

"Oi! Hey, Kyon-Kyon, what's with the serious face? Lighten up some! The food's _delicious_! You should join us!" Uotani grinned, enjoying herself with everyone. "Yah, Kyo! Tohru, Yuki, and I _slaved_ over a _hot stove_ for _hours_! Eat, eat, _eat_!" Momiji encouraged.

"No, that's alright... I have something important to say." Kyo shook his head, turning down the plates of food Momiji urged him to eat. "I have an announcement to make, everyone. Please listen to me."

"My, my, my! This _must_be important - Kyo said the word 'please'! I didn't even think that was in his limited vocabulary!" Shigure gasped, fake shock layered across his face. "Haha, very funny." Kyo rolled his eyes sardonically.

"Listen. Akito has kidnapped Rena. I think he plans to hold her hostage. I have no idea what he's plotting... But he took our most valuable fighter. I think... I think Rena's pretty much down for the counting."

_-Long Silence-_

"...You're kidding, right?..." Uotani whispered. "Akito-san took Rena-chan? But then... That only leaves... Me, Haru, Rin, Arisa-chan, Saki-chan, Hari, Aya, and Shii-chan..." Momiji trailed off.

"That bastard... None of us can even touch him or permanently destroy the akuryous besides Tsuji-chan. She is Light, and only Light can vanquish the Dark." Uotani cursed under her breath.

"There's no way we can win without her, and Akito-san knows that. The Supreme Princess of Light is vital to our victory. All we'll manage to do is tire ourselves..." Hanajima murmured.

"You're right... He could always just put up a Field of Darkness, and the akuryous will regenerate." Ayame agreed with Hanajima dismally.

"Regardless, we _have_ to fight, with or without Rena-hime. We have no choice - It's fight or die." Hatsuharu said bluntly. "I agree with Haru. And besides - We can hold out on our own _without_ the Royal Pain." Isuzu snickered with crossed arms.

"Hatsuharu and I will work together to think of a battle strategy. I'm sure Rena-chan left Hatsuharu and myself in charge of that." Hatori sighed. "She did. It was one of the last things she said before Akito kidnapped her and vanished into thin air." Kyo nodded.

"...Hm. Well, this cerainly is turning out to be truly troublesome..." Shire pursed his lips. "I know. This just keeps getting more and more wonderful by the second..." Shigure muttered sarcastically. "Well... Where could Rena-chan be? Where might Akito-san have taken her?"

"She's not anywhere." Yuki suddenly spoke up, both surprising and confusing everyone. "Usually... I can usually sense Tsujitani-san's spiritual pressure, her reiatsu signature, but now... I can't feel her prescence or aura or anything."

Seeing the confused look on the Present Time peoples' faces, he continued. "In her spare time, Tsujitani-san would briefly teach me a few things, like being familar with and detecting spiritual pressures and reiatsu signatures. That basically means being able to feel someone's aura, prescence, and extent of power, even if they're somewhere else.

"I am very familar with Tsujitani-san's powerful reiatsu signature. I should be able to feel her, no matter where she is. The stronger her life force is, or the closer she is, the stronger I can feel her, and this opposite is also true

"However, I can't... I can't sense Tsujitani-san at all, no matter how hard I try. As long as she's alive, I should be able to feel _something_. There's this strange feeling... She's not _dead_... But it's almost as though she vanished from the face of Earth."

"That's... That's strange... IF she's not on Earth... Where could Rena-chan be? Is she... Is she okay?..." Momiji trailed off, worried. "Don't worry, Momiji-kun. We'll find Rena-chan, I'm sure of it. I know she's alright." Tohru smiled assuringly at the Rabbit of the Juunishi.

"...My god... Could he really have..." Yuki's eyes suddenly snapped open. "...It is as you think, Yuki. Like you, Ayame, Hatori, and I are also familiar with the princess' reiatsu signature. Very familiar, since she's our responsiblity, and we are her legal guardians. " Shire nodded.

"Does he really have the power to do that?"

"If he has the unbelievably immense power necessary to summon Kuro-kamisama. Only Kuro-kamisama and Shiroi-kamisama have such power, because they are the Deities."

"So they are basically the Gods of the Gods of Eternal Power... But why would Kuro-kamisama allow Akito to..."

"You've been doing some studying, haven't you? The Protectors - or rather, Gods - cannot disobey their masters. You guys basically have the power within you to control a specific God."

"Well, this is good and dandy, but what does this have to do with where Rena is?" Kyo demanded. Ayame shook his head and stood up, his gold eyes piercing.

"Not where. _When_." He corrected the Cat of the Juunishi. "We believe... We believe that Akito has taken Rena-chan to the Destined Future."

**Change in POV**

_"Akito-san, what is the one thing you want most in this world?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Aren't you tired of being condemned to your bedroom by your frail and sickly nature?"_

_"Yes... But Rena-chan and Yuki-kun come and visit me all the time."_

_"And yet, you're still lonely, aren't you? Even Yuki, who is seperated from most of the Sohma Family and other people, sees more of everyone than you do - And you are the Juunishi God."_

_"It's good for Yuki to get outside every now and again... I make him and Rena-chan keep me company a lot. I knowthey'd rather be around Tohru-san, or someone."_

_"Still, is that fair? For everyone to have so much fun together, but not you? Doesn't it sicken you to watch them all while you are basically confined in here, tortured by your mother's cruelty?"_

_"..."_

_"And what about Rena-chan? You always watch her with so much love in your eyes. You want to be able to be with her all the time, don't you? and I'm willing to bet that her close friendship with Yuki makes you jeaous, too. You think she has a crush on him, don't you? And it irritates you deeply."_

_"...I..."_

_"I'll ask you again, Akito-san. What does your heart desire?"_

_"...Rena-chan. Ever since she met and got to know Yuki, Kyo, Kagura, Hatsuharu Momiji, Uotani, Hanajima, and Tohru, I feel like we've grown distant. She hasn't come to see me nearly as much. And she's __**always**__ with Yuki... They share such a mutual understanding... I want to be able to go outside and have fun with everyone without feeling weak or getting sick. I want to grow strong so that I can protect myself and everyone I care about. I want to become better to prove my mother wrong. And... I want... To win Rena-chan over."_

_"If you do as I say, all these things will become yours, and more. Strength... Mobility... Power... If you resign yourself to the Darkness, I swear to you, you will have the ability to do the things you desire."_

_"If I agree to this... Then I can be like everyone else? I can join them? I can have Rena-chan?"_

_"And you'll no longer feel lonely or be left out. You'll have everything you could possibly wish for... Including Rena always staying by your side. Those are things you desire, correct?"_

_"...Yes."_

_"Then do not resist me. Give yourself to the Darkness... And your wishes shall become true."_

**"Nothing happened as you had hoped it would, did it, Akito-san? This was not the future you were aiming for, was it? This was not the 'you'... That you were hoping to become."**

"What do you want, Inami Tsujitani? I believe this is the first time we've ever spoken directly. You must be draining Rena's life force, since I can hear you so clearly. I assume she's still unconscious?" Akito responded to Tsujitani's intrusion.

**"Yes. She is. But what do you hope to accomplish by bringing her here?" **Inami demanded. Akito shrugged."Itachi wanted something with her. Because I am her God, he cannot do anything to her without my consent, just as I couldn't do anything to you without his consent. I decided to go fetch her for him."

**"...Akito-san, you don't have to go through with this, you know. You can still fight the Darkness. If you do not, it will soon consume you... Mind, Soul, and Body... Just as it did in this Destined Future."**

"That was a mistake. It was foolish of me to be so rash and hasty with the Six Internal Powers and Heart of Purity in my possession."

**"Do you plan to try that again? You cannot control all six Gods. No one can. Not even you or Itachi. Didn't you learn your lesson the last time?"**

"Enough. I'm sick of you. Begone."

**"...This is proof, Akito-san. Proof of how powerful the Darkness n our own hearts can be. You don't even realize... How corrupt and twisted you have become."**

* * *

"What the hell?... Why have you brough us here?" Hiro Sohma demanded. "Kureno-san... Where are we? What's with that menacing look in your eyes?..." Kisa Sohma asked, trying to hide her fear." Kureno-kun... What are you g-going to do to us?" Ritsu trembling.

The three Juunishi members were chaired up at their wrists and ankles to the brick wall by long chain shackles in a dimly lit dungeon. It was cold, unpleasant, and dirty. The air was dusty, and smelled of blood and death.

A tall, handsome, young man with short dark chestnut brown hair and cold, apathetic bronze eyes stood before Hiro, Kisa, and Ritsu.

Kureno Sohma.

He was dressed in a fancy, mostly black armor with under armor, silver and white embrodiers, designs, and outlines carved into the black armor, and a long black cape. **(FE peeps, he's the Black Knight!!! Haha, no, not really)**

"I am not going to kill you, if that is what you are implying." Kureno replied. "Then why did you bring us here? _Where_ is here? And why are you dressed in that armor?" Hiro again demanded.

The whites of Kurenos years flashed red and his pupil flashed a shade of robin blue simultaneously. "Cease." He murmured.

"You will see very soon."

* * *

"Ughhh... Where the hell am I?" Rena groaned. She sat up, looking at and feeling her surroundings. The dark was mostly dark, very dimly lit.

It was their that she realized she was in a fancy king sized canopy bed, the curtain-like material engulfing her, for it hung from all sides of the bed. Like the canopy, the sheets and pillow cases were satin red, along with the covering of the big, thick satin red quilt.

Rena poked her head out to look into the large, fancy, and expensive room.

"What the hell... What the hell am I wearing?!"

Rena was now wearing a white corset with black strings that tied it together and intertwined the front and back, black lacey designs, and ruffling black outlines. Along with this she wore billowing, ruffled up white skirts with a visible thin black silk skirt in between the four thin layers, seperating them - two and two. The ruffle skirts were out lined and trimmed with black lace.

Adding on to the outfit, Rena had on white platform legging hells that came up to her mid thighs (revealing an inch or two of her glowing chocolate brown skin between the legging hells and the ruffle skirts) and tied together from ankle up.

The light hime also wore silky white lace gloves that ran the way ip to her fore arm, where it was then decorated by black lacy fishnet designs. She wore silver hoop earrings, red lipstick, and smelled of wonderful sweetness. Her long, wavy black hair bad been combed straight down her back, and she wore a white headband with a bid white bow on the right side of it.

Rena knew perfectly well what she must've looked like - A cross between a french maid, a porcelain doll, and a gorgeous lolita. And she _fully_ intended to make whoever dressed her in this outfit (which she found ridiculous and embarrassing) _pay_.

"UGHHH! What's up with these clothes?! Just who the hell did this?! Come on out so that I can kick your ass, you bastard! I'll _kill_ you for this!!!" Rena threatened aloud, getting back into bed and under the blankets to conceal herself.

"Oh? So you're going to kill me, are you? How amusing."

Rena turned to see Itachi suddenly crouched over her. Her eyes widened in fear. Before she could scream, Itachi's lips caught Rena's, kissing her roughly.

"...You're wearing a family heirloom, you know. It originally was Inami's, and it eventually came into your mother's possession. Your mother also looked beautiful... In this. SHe, after all, was a true Tsujitani, like your father, who also cam from the Tsujitani Clam. What were they - Extremely distant cousins, or something?" Itachi pulled away from Rena, who had been silenced by his sudden intrusion.

"You look so much... Like her. Like Inami. Your mother was her splitting image. You share Inami and your mother's beauty... And your very own unique beauty." Itachi whispered. "Why have you brought me here, Itachi-kamisama? And why am I dressed like this?" Rena demanded, sounding braver than she felt.

"You are dressed the way you are simply because dressing you gave me something to do while you were unconscious. I thought it'd look good on you, and it b rough back old memories." Itachi began.

"You are in the Supreme Kingdom, Rena. This is the Supreme Palace of Darkness - Akito's palace. I have brought you here... Because on this night, the Seventh Anniversary of the Tsujitani Massacre... I plan to show you the truth."

"The truth? What do you mean?"

"Come now, Rena. If you stop and think about it, do you honestly believe that Akito-san is as evil as you have made him out ot be?"

"...I... I don't understand."

"My god, how e_asy_ it was... To rip the two of you apart. You and Akito, I mean. And to twist your memories... Into something cruel and painful."

"...What are you _talking_ about?"

"Up until the day of the Tsujitani Massacre, Rena... You and Akito had actually been clos friends. You shared a powerful bond. But on that day, Akito lost his soul to the Darkness, and became nothing more than my living chess piece, trumping my moves into play.

"Yes, in the seven years that you have been a slave to Akito, he has been cruel to you. But he did it, for he was a Slave of Darkness. And, also... If he were ever to disobey me... In a fraction of a second, I could kill his Juunishi, Honda Tohru, Uotani Arisa, Hanajima Saki, and you. I could also trap him alone in a deep dark abyss for all of eternity. SO you see, Akito did what he did because he had no choice but to listen to me and obey the Darkness, whether he agreed or disagreed."

"Are you trying to tell me that Akito is a Slave of Darkness, and that you're only using him to reach your own selfish goals?"

"Akito's soul is lost in a Sea of Eternal Darkness. I am the Dark Lord. He is also my direct reincarnation. So yeah, using him as a puppet and information attainer were my only uses for him, besides him being a tool and host."

"Why should I believe you?" Rena inched away from Itachi. "You will see." Itachi bore into Rena's lovely black eyes with his very own grey ones. "I will show you the truth. I will return to you your true memories, and stop controlling and manipulating your feelings. I will remind you of the honest truth... For better or for worse."

Itachi grabbed Rena's bangs roughly and pulled her towards him, pressing the palm of his hand against her eyes. "I'm only doing this... Because Akito requested it. He wanted you to remember a few things... Before he ends your life tonight."

"What does... Akito want me... To remember?" Rena trailed off, feeling herself slip away.

**Beginning of Flashback**

"Ryo, do I have to go see him? Five year old Rena Tsujitani pulled at sixteen year old Ryo Tsujitani's hand. Her short hair was in a low bun with her band brushed to the right. She wore an adorable sleeveless, red silk Chiniese shirt outlines in black, black dress pants, and black sandals.

"Of course. Why wouldn't you? Akito-san is the most important person in your life!" Ryo replied, dragging Rena on, which forced her to trot after him to keep up.

"Really?" Rena blinked. "Yup. You're both very, very important to each other. And I want for you to get along with Akito-san. It's _very_ important that you're nice to him - no matter what he says or does.

"Can you do that for me?" Ryo stopped and kneeled down to Rena to look at his baby sister in her eyes. Rena looked at her biological brother - The person she admired the most. Clad in black, he was extremely intelligent, mature, handsome, tall, funny, and just amazing.

She would do anything for that beloved person.

"...Hai, Onii-sama." Rena smiled. "I'll be good. I promise." "Good. Now, let's go in. Akito-san's waiting anxiously to meet you." Ryo stood up. "Do... Do I have to open the door and go in first?" Rena asked, nervous.

"...Okay, okay. Please just don't be rude and shy in front of Akito-san." Ryo opened the sliding door. I nthe middle of the room was a young, eight year old boy with short black hair, a cute face, and childish black eyes.

"Yes, Ryo? Come in." Akito acknowledged the prescence of the Tsujitani descendant. "Akito-san... I introduce to you, Rena Mimiru Tsujitani." Ryo bowed respectfully. Rena peeked out from her hiding place behind Ryo's leg to see AKito smiling at her.

"Hello, Rena-chan. How are you? Won't you come and join me?" Akito called out to the young girl. "...!!!" Rena hid behind Ryo again. "Rena, go greet Akito-san. You're being rude." Ryo glared. "It's alright. She's shy. It's cute. As cute as her - extremely." Akito stood up.

"Come out so that I can see you better, Rena-chan."

Almost as if she was unable to defy Akito, Rena reluctantly stepped out from behind Ryo, looking curiously at Akito. Akito smiled sweetly and extended a hand towards Rena.

"Come on, Rena. Come to me."

At that moment, a wave of jumbled, inexplicible emotions hit Rena, who was too young to understand them. These emotions were completely new to the littlegirl. It was at this moment, her etes locked on Akito, that another 'her', a more cryptic and profound side, awoken within her.

She wanted to hold him

She wanted to hit him

She wanted to come closer

She wanted to run away

She wanted to see him more

She wanted to hide

She loved

And hated

She desired

And detested

Needed...

And rejected...

Tears began to roll down Rena's cheeks as she stared at Akito, wide eyed and immobilized. The signt of him made her scared, yet estatic. It was like her heart was swelling and ripping into two.

"You're finally her. We're finally together." Akito came towards Rena with outstretched arms, enclosing her in a tight embrace. Rena tensed before succumbing to his embrace, her tears flowing freely and silently.

It was clear to her now - What was happening was not a choice; she could not fight it. It did not matter if she liked it or not, because she had no control. Her meeting Akito was destined and inevitable.

"Rena-chan... I've been waiting for you. I have a present for you." Akito wiped away Rena's tears. He pulled out a small red rose and showed it to her. "Here. I'll put it in your hair - It matches your outfit perfectly."

"We'll be together forever, Rena-chan. We're _special_. We're _important_. We're _necessary_. And we _need_ each other. I need you in the same way that you need me. I care about you more than I care about anyone else. " Akito stroked Rena's hair before moving away.

Without realizing it, Rena grabbed Akito's arm, keeping him where he was. SHe looked up at him with tear filled eyes, crying. She was wordless - She couldn't speak. All she could do was cry. Akito smiled sadly before stroking Rena's cheek.

Though they were both so young, they somehow knew what the sensation running through their bodies, through their viens was.

It was the sensation that tragic lovers have... When they are finally reunited - for better or for worse

**Ripple In Time**

"Would you shut up?! You're getting on my nerves!" Eleven year old Akito Sohma snapped at eight year old Rena Tsujitani. The Dark Prince was sitting in a corner of his dark bedroom, his back facing Rena.

"_I'm _getting on _your_ nerves? _You're _getting on _my_ nerves! You have such a bad temper! Why are you so mad anyway?!" Rena snapped back.

Arguments and quarrels were not uncommon for Rena and Akito - they were often told that they argued like a married old could. But this _definitely_ had to be the longest and biggest fight they had ever had.

"Will you just _shut up_ and _leave me alone_?!?! Get _out_!!!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"I'm yelling! You stupid girl! I don't need you or anyone else! Get out of my sight!"

"Will you turn around and talk to me? Don't dismiss me! Tell me what's wrong, Akii-kun!"

"What _is it_ with you? You're so _annoying_! Why don't you go somewhere?! Go play with Yuki, Momiji, and Tohru, or something! Leave me the hell alone!"

"Ugh! Akito Sohma, you are _absolutely, unbelievably IMPOSSIBLE! _You listen here, you - " Rena began to scold akito as she marched up to him, grabbed his should, and turning him around angrily, but stopped.

Akito's glaring eyes were reddish and swollen, his lips set in a scowl, and his face was pale. He looked weak and sick, his face portraying pain. Rena gasped and pulled her hand away gently as her face softened.

"Akito... Akii-kun... You're gravely ill..." Rena whispered. The tall, handsome, and lean preteen focused his gaze on the wall again, his right leg propped up with his right arm resting on his knee and his left arm holding him up.

"Yeah, no dip, sherlock." Akito mumbled as Rena got on her knees and sat Japanese-style beside of him. "Why are your eyes so red and swolllen? You're in pain... But why else are you - " Rena stopped, remembering Akito's words.

_"I don't need you or anyone else! Why don't you go somewhere?! Go play with Yuki, Momiji and Tohru, or something!"_

Rena's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my goodness... Akii-kun... Were you crying... Because you _missed _me? Because I haven't been around lately? I've been so busy with Yuki-kun, Momiji-kun, and Tohru-chan... You thought I forgot all about you... Didn't you?"

"..." Akito said nothing, shrugging Rena tears forming in her eyes, Rena flung herself on akito and clung to his neck in a tight embace. I'm so sorry, Akii-kun...!!! I wasn't here when you needed me, and because of that, you paid the price." She murmured, tears running down her cheeks.

"You must have been in so much _pain_... You suffered _all alone..._ I bet there wasn't much Tori-nii could do about the pain, either... You must have been so _lonely_... I'm... I'm so _terrible_...!!! I'm so very sorry... Can you ever forgive me, Akii-kun?"

"...Will you stop crying, you idiot?"

Rena looked up at Akito. His long black bangs veiled her eyes. "...I'm okay. It's okay. So don't cry, okay? You're here now, and that's all that matters..." He wrapped his arms around Rena and hugged her.

"You're here... You came... And you didn't leave, despite all the nasty things I said to you."

"Because, Akii-kun... I love you."

"I love you too, Rena. I know i don't act like I care about you, but please believe me... I do. A lot."

"I believe you."

**Ripple In Time**

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

"Tsujitani-san?!" Ten year old Yuki Sohma busted into Akito Sohma's room. They were in the Sohma Estate, and it was noontime. Standing in the doorway, he saw nine year old Rena Tsujitani on the floor with tears and twelve year old Akito Sohma standing over her.

In AKito's hands were a paint brush and a jar of black paint, and on his walls were black streaks and scribbles everywhere. There was even a little paint on his face.

"Tsujitani-san! Daijoubu desu ka?!" Yuki rushed to Rena's side. "...Akito-san? What... What happened to you? What did you do to her? Why is she crying?" He asked, confused, but also aware that Akito wasn't acting his normal self.

"I... I don't know what's wrong with him... Earlier, he was in here alone, all by himself... But when I walked in, he was writhing in pain and muttering about darkness and souls... To no one in particular, as far as I could see. He kept screaming for someone named Itachi, and it ran chills down my spine..." Rena told Yuki.

"Something was sad, maybe? Or frightening? It all just happened so suddenly... But... Akii-kun, he... He just lost it."

Akito turned back to his walls. "...You see this?" He began to paint on the walls again. "My world is black place, Yuki. I have to make my room match."

"Akito...? What are you...?" Yuki watched the Juunishi God scribble in paint, out of control. "You're pitch black too, Yuki. And Rena is, also. We're always together, so you have to be black, too. We have to be the same to be fair, right? Ah ha... Aha ha ha!"

Suddenly, Akito stopped. Something snapped in him. "...No, we can't be the same. That would make me unnecessary." Akito started towards Yuki. "Akito-" Yuki took a step back. "But I'm _chosen_. I'm _needed_!" Akito splashed the black paint everywhere. "I'm here because I _have_ to be! I'M _**NOT**_ THE SAME AS YOU!" Akito yelled at the Rat of the Juunishi.

"You're just my toy. Your mother gave you to me. Ha ha ha! That's as good as getting abandoned! Your mother's _never_ coming back for you! You'll always be by my side! Everyone hates the rat, stupid!" Akito pushed Yuki down.

"Nobody cares! Nobody cares about you! Think about it, stupid! You've never spoken a word to any of the Juunishi, not even wehn Rena occassionally brought around them! The closest you've come to speaking to any of them is Kyo's declaration of hatred against you! That stupid Honda girl would talk to a w_all_ if we drew a face on it, and Rena's no better than you - She's just a toy of mine, too!"

"Your own _brother_ won't acknowledge you, and yet he welcomes Rena with outstretched arms! Because everyone _hates_ you, Yuki! You _need_ me. If I didn't care about you... There'd be no reason for you to be alive!"

_I'll __**never**__... Forgive you. DO you hear me? I'll __**never**__ forgive you! It's all your fault, Rat! Everything's your fault! It's all because you exist! SOmeone as rotten as you... Oughta do us all a favor and just disappear!"  
_

Yuki's eyes widened. Something snapped in him as he shrunk back. "Yuki-kun... No..." Rena turned to Yuki and tried to comfort him, wiping his tears away. "Akii-kun... How could you say such cruel things to Yuki-kun...?!?!"

"Because the same goes for you, rena. I've already _told_ you. If not for me, you'd have no reason to exist. You're both just my play things. No one _really _cares about little freaks like the two of you. No one but me." Akito sneered.

"Don't misunderstand, my vengeful little spirits... This world is black. Just like your lives. There are no possibilities, no hopes. You'll soon live on a pitch-black path. So don't misunderstand... And think either of you pathetic cretins will be saved.

"Darkness rules everything around me. And soon, that same Darkness will engulf you, drown you... And there will be nothing left."

**End of Flashback**

"It was because of that incident that you and Yuki were brought even closer, wasn't it? That was the same day the Tsujitani Massacre took place... The same day you and Yuki were finally put in your places... In your seperate, dark rooms, confined.

"The mental, physical, and emotional torture... You both understood those pains. That's why no one knows either of you the way the two of you know each other. How _cute_." Itachi sneered mockingly.

"Once Akito sold his soul to the Darkness, everything about him became twisted and warped. I guess you can say I tricked him, because I knew very well this would happen. He wanted to be less sickly so that he could be with you. He wanted to grow stronger so that he could protect you. And he wanted to better himself so that you would love him.

"He sold his soul to me for _you_, Rena. Because he _loved_ you. I granted his wish - Strength, mobility, and power. But you see, the vengeful darkness that filled his existence in place of his soul only wanted to cause pain and suffering.

"Akito fought with every fiber in his body, but the Darkness won and took him over, and he went into insanity. He lost his soul and humanity. I... Am the Keeper of his Soul. Similar to a game of chess, as I have mentioned before, I use him to trump my plans into play."

Itachi's grip on Rena's bangs loosened. Rena laid limp against the Juunishi God. She could still remember and see numerous flashbacks deluging her mind.

She was being drowned by her lost memories

And her body was destroying itself, inside out.

"There is one last thing I must show you... Before this night is over, Miss Tsujitani."

**Me: DN-DN-DN-DNNNN!!! That's all for now everyone!**

**Yuki: ...**

**Me: I'm sorry, Yun-chan. I didn't original mean for you to get caught up into this, but I had an evil idea, and couldn't resist. If anyone's seen Inuyasha, then you can think of the Aktio/Rena/Yuki triangle similar to the Onigumo/Kikyo/Inuyasha triangle, in a sense.**

**Yuki: That was a depressing chapter.**

**Me: The next one should be depressing, too, I guess. **

**Yuki: What's it about?**

**Me: I can't spoil the suprise, my beloved Yuki! Read and review everyone!**

**Yuki: Oh gah...**


End file.
